Indian team is gearing up for the first Test at Edgbaston and during this series, many key battles will shape the outcome of the series
From Clockwise: Ben Stokes, Alastair Cook, Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli. All pics/AFP
Indian cricket team is gearing up for its five-match Test series starting from August 1 at Edgbaston. The team led by Virat Kohli is currently ranked No 1 in Test cricket and last won in England in 2007. This series will see many battles and the war of words have already begun. During the last series between these two sides, India won 4-0 (2016).
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Let’s look at interesting battles which could define the series:
1. Virat Kohli vs James Anderson:
Indian captain Virat Kohli and England seamer James Anderson are proud individuals and like to lead from the front. Virat Kohli is currently going through a purple patch and already has 21 Test tons under his belt. Virat Kohli has a brilliant record in Australia (five hundreds), South Africa (two hundreds), but the only blemish is his dismal record in England (134 runs in 2014 at an average of 13.40).
England seamer James Anderson is a great craftsman and loves to bowl in England. Anderson has already thrown a challenge and said that Virat Kohli would be under pressure to perform in English conditions. During this series, a lot will depend on how Virat Kohli counters Anderson. If Kohli has a mediocre series then England will have a good chance at victory.
The English seamer has played 12 Tests in England against India and has picked up 60 wickets at an average of 25.88. If James Anderson wants to walk the talk then he has to get rid of Virat Kohli early in the innings. Else, Virat Kohli could prove lethal for the English
2. Stuart Broad vs Cheteshwar Pujara:
When you think of Cheteshwar Pujara, you think of stability, patience and determination. Cheteshwar Pujara is old-school, where he wears down bowlers and then cashes in and gets ‘Daddy hundreds’ (scores of over 150+ and double hundreds). England’s maverick seamer Stuart Broad is going through an interesting phase in his career. After having a mediocre Ashes series, Broad has been facing criticism from some quarters. (read: Michael Vaughan).
Pujara has a brilliant record in India and sub-continent, but his record in SENA countries (South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia) is rather poor by his lofty standards. The lad from Saurashtra scored only 222 runs in five matches in 2014. Cheteshwar Pujara has just one hundred in the above-mentioned countries (2013 vs South Africa at Johannesburg).
If Stuart Broad gets on a roll and bowls with pace and aggression then India could find themselves in trouble. For India’s sake, Cheteshwar Pujara has to knuckle down and get the better off Broad and Co and prove that he is an all-weather player.
3. Alastair Cook vs Ravichandran Ashwin:
There are many similarities between Alastair Cook and Ravichandran Ashwin. Both Cook and Ashwin like to analyse the game and play according to the situation. Alastair Cook has already played 156 Test matches and has a good record against India (six hundreds overall) and you don’t discount experience for anything. On the other hand, Ashwin might be fighting for his place in the playing eleven, but you don’t become the fastest bowler to pick up 300 wickets in Test matches if you only bowl well on rank turners.
Ravichandran Ashwin has a very good record against left-handers and if India minimises Cook’s impact then they may be able to control the rest of the England batsmen. A lot will depend on how Ravichandran Ashwin bowls against Cook, who has 32 Test hundreds. Incidentally, when India last played at Edgbaston in 2011 (venue of the first Test) Alastair Cook scored a career-best 294.
4. Joe Root vs Ishant Sharma:
England Test captain Joe Root is one of the best batsmen going around in world cricket currently. When Joe Root bats, he oozes class. Joe Root is very determined and hungry and like any skipper, loves to lead from the front. One criticism that Joe Root faces is that he doesn’t manage to convert his 60s and 70s into big hundreds (13 hundreds in 69 matches).
The Indian team would be hoping that Root continues this trend and will rely on experienced Ishant Sharma to deliver this blow. This will be Ishant Sharma’s third tour of England and in the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah (out of the first Test); a lot will ride on the Delhi speedster.
Ishant Sharma is a workhorse and always gives his best. During 2014 Lord’s Test, Ishant Sharma bowled the Indian team to victory. The battle between Root and Ishant would be fascinating and this match-up would be crucial in shaping the outcome of the series.
5. Hardik Pandya vs Ben Stokes:
The Indian team, ever since the retirement of great Kapil Dev, has been on the hunt for a seam-bowling all-rounder and despite trying so many players, no one has been able to fill the void left by the former Indian captain. In every good Test side, you need a valuable all-rounder, who can balance the side and also be an X-factor.
England team currently has one of the highly sought after all-rounders in the world cricket i.e. Ben Stokes. When in full flow, there is no one who can match his talent. Ben Stokes is a brilliant batsman, handy bowler and a very good fielder. Ben Stokes might be struggling currently on and off the field, but is an asset for this England side and can take the match away in a very short period of time.
Now, coming to India’s all-rounder Hardik Pandya - the Baroda all-rounder has a long way to go, but his performance in South Africa was vital with both Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri rating him very highly.
If India goes in with five bowlers (including Hardik Pandya) then he must showcase maturity in his game. Hardik Pandya vs Ben Stokes on paper may give the edge to Stokes, but if Pandya strikes form early in the series then not India would breathe a sigh of relief and Hardik Pandya’s inclusion in the team would prove a masterstroke.
Also Read: Indian Off-Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin Suffers Minor Injury Ahead Of First Test Against England
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