How often have we seen India playing good cricket yet not crossing the finish line. Tail-enders giving India headache is not a new thing. There have been numerous instances in the past when India has run through the top order but tail-enders have made Indian bowlers toil hard for their wicket.
Be it the Galle Test match where Dinesh Chandimal’s brilliance with the tail cost India the game or the more recent Cape Town test where tail-enders runs in the first innings proved to be the difference in the low scoring crunch battle. Edgbaston is just another entry in what is a very long list reflecting India’s inability to wrap up the tail.
Lord’s 2014 and Ishant Sharma stole the show to hand India a famous victory. It was the only sweet moment in otherwise a dismal tour. Ishant Sharma was brilliant in the first Test and the team would want him to continue the form. In fact, Indian bowlers did a great job in the first Test. Batsmen were the ones who let India down. Barring Kohli, no other batsmen looked settled and were found wanting against the moving ball.
It’s just one match and one would think they will get one more opportunity to prove themselves on the home of cricket unless Kohli comes up with a surprise or two. But the batsmen need to step up to support Kohli who has gone past the demons of his last tour. Dependence of Indian batting on Kohli can be made out from the fact that he has scored 20 percent of the team’s runs on the tours of Aus, SA, NZ and Eng since 2013. If you leave the Eng series in 2014, the number reaches 25 percent. Over dependence on any one batsman will certainly not win India matches overseas.
The prospect of two spinners seems a far off theory given the conditions. Umesh will retain his place as Bumrah is still to recover fully. Thus, in my opinion India could well field the same 11 that played the Edgbaston Test. Indian team gave only glimpses of their capability and potential. If the batsmen also join the party then India will surely have a good outing in Lord’s.
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