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Nottingham, Aug. 1: Having done one honourable act, by recalling Ian Bell, it’s time for Team India to do the next one — abdicate the No. 1 position in Test cricket.
No top-ranked team would, after all, play like India did over what became the last two days of Test No. 2.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men bowled, fielded (some of the placements defied logic) and batted with no pride, allowing England to pummel them by 319 runs at Trent Bridge.
The result gave England a 2-0 lead in the four-match series. More important, Andrew Strauss’s team took a giant leap towards snatching the No. 1 ranking.
As at Lord’s, India won the toss, had their moments (England six down for 88 and eight down for 124 in the first innings), but couldn’t land the knockout punch.
Maybe, a Vijender Singh was required.
If local lad Stuart Broad, the hugely popular MoM, caused havoc with the ball and bat in the first innings, Tim Bresnan, who played because Chris Tremlett wasn’t fit, joined the party in the second innings.
Bresnan scored 90 (at No. 8) and, then, sent the India batsmen hopping to pick up five for 48.
The mega success of Broad and Bresnan reinforced what India lack — all-rounders capable of making a difference.
It’s with good reason that England’s attack is rated the best in the business by most. The quicks are fast, accurate and forever hungry.
Be it because of their height or whatever, they do intimidate.
“The wicket has to seem different when they (England) bowl because of the difference in quality.… India’s cause won’t be helped if three of the top-six batsmen (Abhinav Mukund, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh) don’t want to face balls above their waist.… Nobody countered England’s bowlers,” former West Indies captain Michael Holding told The Telegraph.
At best, India can draw the series. Nobody is going to bet on that, though, certainly not after their showing here.
Even the most passionate of England’s fans wouldn’t have predicted a finish inside four days when Day IV got under way, today. Yet, that happened.
Thirty-seven minutes remained for the scheduled close when the last wicket fell and England broke into celebrations.
Not only does this England team play a different brand of cricket, which is often very aggressive, but the rejoicing is also with more emotion than seen in the recent past.
“I agree to some extent that we’re not playing like the No. 1 team. We’ve been hit by injuries and, all of a sudden, there’s undue pressure.… Our batsmen haven’t been putting up totals (unbelievably, the 300 mark is yet to be crossed),” Dhoni said.
Asked if he’d run out of tricks, Dhoni quipped: “I didn’t have any tricks... Working with just three specialist bowlers (because of injuries) becomes different... England’s been playing very good cricket and, as a team, you’ve got to be at your best. We haven’t managed that.”
It’s for the first time in three years as the Test captain that Dhoni finds himself under pressure and, clearly, he’s feeling the heat.
However, no matter how gutted Dhoni must be feeling, he didn’t give much away. Typically.
Rather, he was optimistic that the team would “regroup” and be “physically and mentally fresh” ahead of the third Test, in Birmingham, from August 10.
Dhoni acknowledged that he was somewhat concerned with his form (three fifties in the last 10 Tests) and was spot on when he said: “If you’re a leader, you want to perform.”
Resuming their second innings on 441 for six this morning, England did a Lewis Hamilton to reach 544 before being all out. There was time still for lunch; time for India to be pushed more on the back foot.
In the five overs before the break, India lost Rahul Dravid, the series’ most consistent batsman, and England had quickly won half the final battle.
Actually, Mukund should’ve been out first ball, to complete a king pair, but was put down in the slip cordon. Not that he capitalised.
Sachin Tendulkar scored his first 50 of the series and Harbhajan Singh got a 46, but the England quicks’ fury proved too much for the rest.
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