Sweep first, spin later

As Shubman Gill batted on the practice pitch next to the main strip on Wednesday, both Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan stood behind and watched. This was before the duo, who are in line to make their debut in Visakhapatnam, honed their batting at that net. Perhaps in the lone pursuit of employing the unconventional and equally unexpected sweeps and reverse-sweeps more frequently in a bid to throw English spinners off the immaculate line and length in the second Test beginning on Friday.

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One of the major highlights of the opening Test was the contradictory methods employed by batters of the two sides while playing spin, despite having cut their teeth on similar surfaces, against the same spinners, in the past. The likes of Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope went big on sweeps in Hyderabad against India's spin maestros, who bore the brunt of England's fury in the third innings of the Test, which the hosts lost by 28 runs, only their fourth defeat at home since 2013. The only Indian batsman who looked comfortable while sweeping is captain Rohit Sharma, as all others never took it to be a productive scoring option.

"It is not something you can try. You need to practice it. If you have more shots it is beneficial. We play in a traditional way. Our strength is going straight and using our feet. We need to do that well and if we can play some shots, that is always a good addition," coach Vikram Rathour told reporters after the session.

England, meanwhile, will be relieved to not have to deal with Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul in the second Test but they still have puzzles in their own game to solve. They were soundly beaten in Hyderabad and eased back to winning ways only because of the belligerent Pope and the stout-hearted Tom Hartley.

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Their middle order, apart from Stokes, hasn't pulled its weight with the willow. They will hope Joe Root can build on the momentum he showed with the ball in the series opener. It is not just their batting, though, that has been a cause of worry. The bowlers, besides Root and Hartley, have been a let down as well. England's fast bowlers have opted for pace and erred in line and length, leaking crucial runs with the young Yashasvi Jaiswal on the crease.

Surprisingly enough, for a team that prides itself on preparation, England haven't bowled many cutters or slower balls to make their Indian counterparts fight that little extra bit to find their timing. Perhaps this explains why the English dressing room can't thank Root-Hartley enough for their wondrous exploits.

For India, batters have had their troubles too but have been shored up by their premier bowlers, who have succeeded in choking runs in the middle overs to an extent. From what it appears, Rohit and Co. will not be over strategising about the English team as wicket-keeper KS Bharat insinuated in the press conference.

"Everything is chill and everything is relaxed at the moment and looking to do well as a team. That's the message from the captain and coach. We are confident. Our bench strength is always ready for a challenge on these kinds of tracks. And the guys walking in, I am sure they will definitely do well and take it forward," said Bharat.

The best part about this Indian team is that they haven't yet played their best cricket and yet have been able to tilt the game in their favour with consummate ease, although unsuccessfully. The middle-order batting still remains a concern and Gill's performance at number three certainly makes him a weak link. But above all, it is the pitch that remains under scanner with the hosts expected to dish out a turning track in their bid to effectively level the series.

(With quotes from PTI)