31 January,2021 07:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Ian Chappell
Virat Kohli and Joe Root. Pics/Getty Images
The upcoming India versus England Test series has the potential to be an enticing contest similar in intensity to the one recently completed in Australia.
India will start favourites after an exhilarating (overcoming all obstacles) victory over Australia. When you add the name Virat Kohli to the batting order the team suddenly assumes a bullet-proof cloak. In also adding the names Ravichandran Ashwin, Hardik Pandya and Ishant Sharma to the list of available players, India then takes on an unbeatable appearance.
Likewise, England can point to improvements they can make to the side that won convincingly in Sri Lanka.
The availability of a premium player in Ben Stokes, who, like Pandya, provides all-round ability and selection flexibility, albeit at a higher level than the Indian, is a big plus. And Jofra Archer adds substantially to the quality of an already strong pace attack.
However, it's at the top of the England order where another returning player Rory Burns will reside, that the scales tip in India's favour. India's top three features an impressive Shubman Gill, a talented but flawed Rohit Sharma and the indomitable Cheteshwar Pujara, placing them well ahead of England's top order. Dom Sibley possesses the grit and determination but there are questions about his technique against the best. In India and Australia, he will face two of the best in fairly quick succession, so that question will be answered in the next 12 months. Burns is another in the same category and if both players fail, England will be in trouble unless Joe Root continues to score at his current freakish level.
Zac Crawley, like his Indian counterpart Gill, is talented and has great potential. However, his failure to contribute in Sri Lanka raises concerns that need to be put to rest quickly and there's no better place or time to do that than in India.
Unfortunately, any advantage England might gain from Root's incredible form at No. 4 is immediately negated by India's best batsman also holding down a similar position. Rarely does a series feature two such well-credentialed No. 4 batsmen.
The middle-order of both teams are a mixture of explosive stroke play with a touch of steadiness for good measure. Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant and the possible addition of Pandya has India well placed to take full advantage of any good start. The ability to swiftly accelerate the scoring is nearly as important to winning Test matches as is the capability of taking 20 wickets.
England is similarly placed with Stokes and Jos Buttler as their lethal weapons. The possible return of Ollie Pope will add some dependability to the threatening nature of that section of the batting order. However, Buttler's departure after just one Test and a possible return of Ravindra Jadega to the Indian line-up will swing the scales further in favour of the home team.
The presence of Archer, along with the skill and experience of stalwarts Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, would normally provide England with an advantage in the pace department. However, India's improvement in that category is amply illustrated by their performance in matching Australia's much-vaunted pace attack in two successive away series.
Not only does India now have quality pace bowling but they also have it in comforting quantities following the depth displayed in Australia. For years the rest of the cricketing world has rested uneasily in the fear that India would finally utilise it's population advantage by nurturing and selecting its best talent. That day has finally arrived.
These mouth-watering Test series are to be savoured. With all the challenges Test cricket faces - Covid-19 being the latest - the future of the format is not guaranteed to be as generously giving as it has been in the last few months.
Matches: 87
100s: 27
Highest score: 254
Average: 53:41
Matches: 99
100s: 19
Highest score: 254
Average: 49.39
