In a stunning start to the inaugural Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, England pulled off a stunning Test match victory over India at Headingley, chasing down a tough fourth innings target of 371 ultimately winning by 5 wickets. Not only does the victory put England 1-0 up in the five-match series, but it also signifies more than that—England’s Bazball is flourishing, and it still works under pressure.
As the dust settles in Leeds, India is going to have to ask itself some difficult questions before the second Test. In this analysis, we will dissect what went right for England, what went wrong for India and what they will need to change to level the series.
Attention to the details.
Ben Duckett’s scintillating century, 149 from 170 balls put England into orbit in what was a fine example of how to chase runs in modern Test match cricket. Most teams would have taken their time to get into the chase but both Duckett and Crawley attacked from the first ball. They laid a solid platform for the team, the latter could cruise to a close on Day 5 of Test 1 despite a rain delays and two quick wickets from Prasidh Krishna.
Calm support from crawley and Duckett’s aggressiveness meant India were unsuccessful in gaining any rhythm with the ball. Furthermore, England’s tidy bowling display on Days 3, in which Crase and Tongue were reliable in the hitting zone certainly should not go unnoticed in the announcement of worthy winners. Where Tounge even took three wickets in one over putting India under immense pressure and restricted them to 364 in the 2nd Innings on Day 4.
India: Tactical Mistakes and Missed Opportunities
Despite scoring 471 in the first innings and having England at 225/4 , India let the game slip away in three areas:
1. Lack of Penetration on a Flat Track
Once the Dukes ball had lost its hardness, India’s bowlers looked toothless. While Jasprit Bumrah was bowling with venom, Mohammed Siraj struggled for control, and Prasidh Krishna had a brief period of impact but was unable to sustain pressure. The absence of a quality spinner was painfully clear, as Ravindra Jadeja alone was not able to restrict and contain runs from both ends to put England under pressure Shardul Thakur took the crucial wicket of Ben Duckett and Harry Brook but it was all too late by then and England with the help of Joe Root and Jamie Smith reached the target comfortably.
2. An Inconsistent Middle Order
Once again, India’s lower middle order missed its chance to build on starts. In particular, Shubman Gill looked classy, and Rishabh Pant scored a useful knock, Sai Sudershan and Karun Nair’s form left the team in trouble and exposed the tail of Indian Batting line-up which became all too easy for the England bowlers to clean up.
3. Poor Fielding
India dropped too many catches in the important phases of the match in the First as well as second innings. Where Yashasvi Jaiswal was seen dropping 5 important catches in the slips and gully area. It seems for the up-coming 4 test matches India would be spending a lot of their time during practice sessions in slip and gully catching. Since dropping catches during crucial phases of the match will not take the team anywhere.
What India Needs to Fix for the 2nd Test
Play a Specialist Spinner
With Jadeja India might be looking towards a right arm off-spinner in Washington sundar instead of playing Shardul Thakur hence strengthening the batting order as well in the lower middle order since Washington Sundar being a better batsman than Shardul Thakur. England’s left-handers (Duckett, Stokes) has a history of struggle against right arm off spin Washington Sundar along with Jaddu might be just the right combination of spin attack for India going forward.
Strengthen the Middle Order
It’s time for some honesty and accountability. If Jaiswal and Rahul are giving the team the start they need. The team expect Sai Sudershan and Karun Nair to carry forward with the start and take the score forward. With such an impeccable record in first class both the batsmen have failed in both the innings and could not help the cause of the team. Though Sai Sudershan being the debutant it is too early to comment anything, but he needs to keep in mind that team India is full of options be it any format and the number of chances he is going to get are limited.
Corrective Measures in Fielding:
England are really able to perform well when the match is not taking shape. It is crucial India takes shape of the match early with attacking fields and most importantly grabbing those important catches at crucial phases of the match, rotating their bowling smartly and early on having positive intent as a batting unit.
The Road ahead:
Four Tests to change the narrative. This is a lengthy series, and India has the pedigree to respond. But they need to adapt quickly, both tactically and mentally. England are sharper, nimbler, and obviously ready to claim the new-age version of a rivalry in the new-format Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy.
India will need their depth, experience, and fighting spirit to fight back and even things up at Birmingham, where the second Test starts on July 02nd.
Because the one thing we know about Test cricket is:
It’s never over until it’s over.
Stay tuned as we follow the twists and turns of this historic series. Will India roar back? Or will England boast an extended lead? Comment below with your thoughts!
You may also read our blog on the new era of the Indian test cricket below.
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