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| England and India approach tight Test series with bowling headaches | England and India approach tight Test series with bowling headaches |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| After they had finished their eve-of-Test practice session and the batsmen had made their way back to the dressing room, the England bowlers gathered on the Trent Bridge outfield, and with coach and bowling coach, were reminded, if they needed to be, of just what lay ahead over the course of the next seven weeks. | After they had finished their eve-of-Test practice session and the batsmen had made their way back to the dressing room, the England bowlers gathered on the Trent Bridge outfield, and with coach and bowling coach, were reminded, if they needed to be, of just what lay ahead over the course of the next seven weeks. |
| Here we have two new teams finding their way in the cricket world, both callow but chock-full of promise, and well matched. It ought to be close. So the assembly of the bowling group carried a symbolism, a recognition as to just where the series – the first in 56 years to be played over five matches in this country by the two sides – will be won and lost. Both teams have batting the prospect of which excites. But it is the bowlers, and in particular the management of them, that will decide matters. | Here we have two new teams finding their way in the cricket world, both callow but chock-full of promise, and well matched. It ought to be close. So the assembly of the bowling group carried a symbolism, a recognition as to just where the series – the first in 56 years to be played over five matches in this country by the two sides – will be won and lost. Both teams have batting the prospect of which excites. But it is the bowlers, and in particular the management of them, that will decide matters. |
| Both sides have work to do. In the two-match series against Sri Lanka the England bowlers had some excellent days, particularly the final day at Lord’s when they came within maybe six inches of carry on the final ball of the match of hammering out a win, and the first day at Headingley. But they had some shockers too, where ill-discipline and some strange tactics took hold and they lost control of hard-won advantage. Led by Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, they need to find some consistency, ensuring, as they have done successfully in the past, that there is no respite for the opposing batsmen. | Both sides have work to do. In the two-match series against Sri Lanka the England bowlers had some excellent days, particularly the final day at Lord’s when they came within maybe six inches of carry on the final ball of the match of hammering out a win, and the first day at Headingley. But they had some shockers too, where ill-discipline and some strange tactics took hold and they lost control of hard-won advantage. Led by Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, they need to find some consistency, ensuring, as they have done successfully in the past, that there is no respite for the opposing batsmen. |
| Against that, on the evidence of the warm-up matches that they played against Leicestershire and Derbyshire, the Indian bowlers, the seamers anyway, have been in need of a crash education in how to bowl in this country. The two matches have brought them a total of 11 wickets for 831 runs in 197 overs. They have struggled to get any rhythm, or indeed find the right length. | |
| The delivery of no-balls has blighted them. In particular Ishant Sharma, one of their most experienced cricketers, is a serial offender – often by a considerable distance – yet has been in receipt of remarkable benevolence by umpires in that regard, who for some reason tend to want to stand in a different parish. | The delivery of no-balls has blighted them. In particular Ishant Sharma, one of their most experienced cricketers, is a serial offender – often by a considerable distance – yet has been in receipt of remarkable benevolence by umpires in that regard, who for some reason tend to want to stand in a different parish. |
| Four years ago, of course, India, with the honourable exception of Rahul Dravid, were an embarrassment, a collection of fading stars whom no one had the courage (as if that would have been sufficient) to tell to call time. England trounced them over four Tests. | Four years ago, of course, India, with the honourable exception of Rahul Dravid, were an embarrassment, a collection of fading stars whom no one had the courage (as if that would have been sufficient) to tell to call time. England trounced them over four Tests. |
| The order has changed now, and in Duncan Fletcher they have a coach who is in his element, working with new players eager to learn rather than old ones who ran the show. Credit to India for having the common sense to recognise that his time would come. | The order has changed now, and in Duncan Fletcher they have a coach who is in his element, working with new players eager to learn rather than old ones who ran the show. Credit to India for having the common sense to recognise that his time would come. |
| They will know only too well that it is more than three years – or 14 Tests – since Dravid ground out a seven-hour hundred to help them win in Kingston, the last match they won abroad. Ten of those matches have been lost. Yet if they have not travelled well, then the side that Fletcher and Dhoni have begun to construct has scarcely travelled at all. This is new territory, and exciting. In Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Murali Vijay they have brilliant batsmen who can do great damage. They do not bear the scars but carry a hunger to succeed where their illustrious predecessors failed. | They will know only too well that it is more than three years – or 14 Tests – since Dravid ground out a seven-hour hundred to help them win in Kingston, the last match they won abroad. Ten of those matches have been lost. Yet if they have not travelled well, then the side that Fletcher and Dhoni have begun to construct has scarcely travelled at all. This is new territory, and exciting. In Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Murali Vijay they have brilliant batsmen who can do great damage. They do not bear the scars but carry a hunger to succeed where their illustrious predecessors failed. |
| The capacity of these players to adapt to coping with sideways movement, either in the air or from the pitch, will be key to their success. Dravid alone coped consistently in England last time. But equally as important will be the capacity of the England pace bowlers to find such movement. Against Sri Lanka it was there only fleetingly. To this end, much is being made of the advanced drainage systems that modern Test grounds possess, although this is becoming a little like a vogue wisdom: such drainage has been around for a while now. | The capacity of these players to adapt to coping with sideways movement, either in the air or from the pitch, will be key to their success. Dravid alone coped consistently in England last time. But equally as important will be the capacity of the England pace bowlers to find such movement. Against Sri Lanka it was there only fleetingly. To this end, much is being made of the advanced drainage systems that modern Test grounds possess, although this is becoming a little like a vogue wisdom: such drainage has been around for a while now. |
| It is certainly true, though, that England would prefer pitches that better reflected their own strengths rather than offering the opposition those with which they would be more familiar. This Trent Bridge pitch looks not dissimilar to the on which England beat Australia last year: dry, with a covering of fluffy matted grass. On that occasion, England won the toss and batted first; had the Australian bowlers not been so over-eager, the home side could have been blown away so extravagantly did the ball move. | It is certainly true, though, that England would prefer pitches that better reflected their own strengths rather than offering the opposition those with which they would be more familiar. This Trent Bridge pitch looks not dissimilar to the on which England beat Australia last year: dry, with a covering of fluffy matted grass. On that occasion, England won the toss and batted first; had the Australian bowlers not been so over-eager, the home side could have been blown away so extravagantly did the ball move. |
| In the end it was Anderson who won the game for England with 10 wickets in the match, although they came at a physical cost: he was not the same bowler all series. But he has a remarkable record at Trent Bridge, with 49 wickets at 17 runs apiece, and Alastair Cook will be relying on him now, although he really has to use him, and indeed Stuart Broad, in shorter spells. | In the end it was Anderson who won the game for England with 10 wickets in the match, although they came at a physical cost: he was not the same bowler all series. But he has a remarkable record at Trent Bridge, with 49 wickets at 17 runs apiece, and Alastair Cook will be relying on him now, although he really has to use him, and indeed Stuart Broad, in shorter spells. |
| Which bowlers provide the backup is still debatable, with Ben Stokes, not to mention Chris Woakes still in the mix. Stokes was England’s best batsman in Australia, but his inclusion now would be down to whether the attack would be weakened should he replace either Chris Jordan or Liam Plunkett. Stokes is no slouch, bowls a fuller skiddy length, and can reverse the old ball, so it may come down to the nature of the debate on the outfield, based around the lengths that will be needed. | Which bowlers provide the backup is still debatable, with Ben Stokes, not to mention Chris Woakes still in the mix. Stokes was England’s best batsman in Australia, but his inclusion now would be down to whether the attack would be weakened should he replace either Chris Jordan or Liam Plunkett. Stokes is no slouch, bowls a fuller skiddy length, and can reverse the old ball, so it may come down to the nature of the debate on the outfield, based around the lengths that will be needed. |
| The indications are that Stokes will play and bat at No7, above Matt Prior, who looks likely to be fit. Jordan has taken well to Test cricket without quite setting things alight, while Plunkett flogged nine wickets out of the Headingley pitch and has the capacity to rough up some batsmen. He is less effective when he has to pitch the ball fuller, a little floaty. If England wish to pursue the full length, it could be Plunkett who misses out. | The indications are that Stokes will play and bat at No7, above Matt Prior, who looks likely to be fit. Jordan has taken well to Test cricket without quite setting things alight, while Plunkett flogged nine wickets out of the Headingley pitch and has the capacity to rough up some batsmen. He is less effective when he has to pitch the ball fuller, a little floaty. If England wish to pursue the full length, it could be Plunkett who misses out. |