IND vs ENG Tests: Can India Repeat 2021?

India’s Sarfaraz Khan (right) practises slip catching alongside Shreyas Iyer at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam yesterday; (right) Captain Rohit Sharma (left) talks to India head coach Rahul Dravid in Visakhapatnam yesterday. Pics/Getty Images

It's not often that India have found themselves one-down at home after the first Test of a series. Actually, it's not often that India lose a Test match at home. Only four defeats in the last 48 Tests in their backyard is a mighty fine record.

Two of those four setbacks, however, have been against England, who were also the last team to grab a 1-0 lead in India, in 2021. India then bounced back in grand fashion to seal the series 3-1 and guarantee themselves a place in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship. For them to stage an encore will necessitate immense character and no little display of skill, especially after their designs of an immediate fightback were dealt two huge blows at the conclusion of the Hyderabad Test.

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Team rejig at Vizag

Minus Virat Kohli for the first two Tests, India will also have to make do without KL Rahul (right quadriceps injury) and Ravindra Jadeja (left hamstring) at least for the second Test beginning here on Friday. That will necessitate a rejig of their playing XI, a potential debut for Rajat Patidar, the prolific right-hander from Madhya Pradesh, and a return to Test cricket after 13 months for Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist-spinner who was the Player of the Match in his last appearance, in Bangladesh in December 2022.

India must also ponder long and hard if the surface at the ACA-VDCA Stadium does call for a second paceman, or whether they should go in with a four-pronged spin attack to supplement Jasprit Bumrah. Mohammed Siraj, the hometown hero, bowled only 11 overs in the two innings combined (out of a total 166.4 overs) in the first Test. If he is going to remain a fringe bowler, India might be better off infusing an additional spin option in the form of Washington Sundar, the off-spinner, who is a more than capable batsman, with three fifties in his four Tests and a batting average of 66.25.

Long practice session

All those in contention, and even some of those who aren't, made a beeline to the venue on Wednesday afternoon, spending long hours at the nets under the eagle eye of Rahul Dravid and his support staff. Vikram Rathour, the batting coach, dismissed suggestions regarding a recovery from the Hyderabad mauling, insisting, "You keep learning every game that you play. Of course, we could have done better in batting, bowling and fielding.

"We keep talking about our batters not scoring enough, but India has been winning a lot of series at home," the former India opener added. "We haven't lost a series at home for 12-13 years. It means we are putting up more runs than the other teams. These are tough conditions to score runs, but I'm sure that the batters will find a way."

They must, especially Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, if India are to bring high-flying England crashing down to earth over the next week.

4
No. of defeats India have suffered in their last 48 Tests at home

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