Chepauk - Once Bitten Twice Shy

India vs England second test - 13th-17th February - Chennai Chepauk.

Test Preview

England's strategy of team selection is very simple against India. The have focussed on two things: Rotation policy and to play an off break bowler. As I mentioned in my blog during the first test, India can shake up the bowling record of best variation spin bowlers capitalising in a big way. However a simple off-break bowler is against who they struggle especially during day 3 to day 5 when it is rough around the crease. Moieen Ali is brought back in team for the second test to cover that. England team selectors would have done the same if they were hosting India in England.

I think India will go for Axar Patel and Kuldeep instead of Washington Sundar and Nadeem. I think with the pace bowling attack, it will be good to have a young gun who can be deployed to get break through whenever required. In my opinion, Siraj would fit the bill. It is unlikely Team India will replace an inexperienced bowler Siraj with the experienced Ishant.

There was never a situation where a back to back tests was played in Chepauk and it is for the first time to be played in India. Pandemic has pushed hard to create bubbles and to have everyone locked in it for long. Competing nations and venue are the same. A new 22 yard strip and 50% audience will be something to look forward. Empty stadiums are the curse and vaccination hope is injecting to fill up the stadiums.

India has never lost twice that too back to back in Chennai against England. All that Team India will be aiming to do is to keep the record the same way. However England will be looking to make a history after all 2021 is favourable to make Cricket histories so far.

Day 4 - Toss, Pitch and Resilience Won

The match was won on Day 3 when Ashwin slog swept Moieen Ali for a Six. This shot rekindled the shot selection that he learnt 19 years back and came handy when Team India needed the most. Test cricket requires a big character in the middle which Ashwin portrayed very well to unsettle the opponents. Ashwin seem to have picked a leaf (few leaves may be) from his entire experience playing in Chennai to prepare his mind before joining Virat in the middle. Especially in a pitch where the top order batsmen from both the teams were struggling. Ashwin switched his playing mode to attack towards the end to have everything going in his favour and scripting the famous century which ebbed England to a defeat.

The English players seemed to have thought about the dust in the pitch all the time when they went in to bat. Almost wanting a slightly wide bat to save the test against the spinners and left behind all the skills in the dressing room. This is the difference between England and the "New India" team. The "New India" team is more process oriented and have great beliefs to come back to win sessions and the match eventually.

Virat's captaincy was a question before the start of the second test and the answer came back from Virat himself. He operated with three bowlers in the first innings who were in top rhythm to make all the damage in and brought Siraj when break through was needed. I think Virat was carried away a bit too much with his argument with the umpire which have fed content to the pundits. Usually audience cheer the players and pump up the emotions of the game. It was other way where Virat cheering crowd to encourage with the famous Chennai whistlepodu gesture. He went well and beyond to learn few Tamil words (vera level...vera level) which stump mic picked it as he helped to cheer Ashwin when he bowled to Stokes echoed by Pant as well. This shows how much a sport is in need of audience to spice up the aura and celebrate the game. A big success to BCCI on their trial with 50% audience.

Going back to the history of Indian spinners, the tall spinners have always been on the limelight using high release points to induce bounce from the pitch. I think it also helps to use their height to gauge the movement of the batsmen and their trigger points before they can deliver the ball. To this list, Axar joined the elite group to become the ninth bowler to take five for in his test debut.

England batsmen had only one option which was to dance down the track and distract the spinners and see if they can do any miracle by scoring quickly. This didn't pay off against a big target and rest of it was handled well behind the wickets by Rishabh Pant. Moieen Ali's cameo came into effect too late but a good practice for the upcoming T20 series may be.

The net result was powered by Toss win, spin friendly pitch and most importantly the team with resilience won the match.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Day 3 - Ashwin's Cricket Concoction

Yesterday I mentioned about expectation of Ashwin's "Vaathi Raid" (Master's Raid) in the second innings in the form of bowling. He gave us all a surprise with part-1 Vaathi raid with his batting. Ashwin's resilience mindset is definitely the key ingredient in his Cricket Concoction. Ashwin to surpass his personal best score in Chepauk scoring 106 with a strike rate of 71.62 is icing on a cake that too in his own backyard. Ashwin went in to play with Virat to support. However an attacking game of Ashwin which England wouldn't have expected. It was a gem of an innings by both to bolster India lead beyond 450. Did you all watch Siraj celebrate Ashwin's century? Just like a kid given approval by a parent to mess around, Siraj was waiting for Ashwin to make a century so that he can flex his sixes with the bat.

The part-2 of the vaathi raid is in queue of the watch list. Can Ashwin take five wickets and join the legends board for scoring century and taking ten wickets in a match? He needs just four more.

From England point of view, was there an opportunity to reverse swing by the pace bowlers? If so, why did Broad bowl against his normal bowling? Sorry I have been saying this as a broken record, missing out on the bliss of Bess was a big mistake. Foakes kept behind wickets very well to keep pressure on Indian batsman. Moeen Ali was excellent getting most of the wickets LBW with lot of off-break variation like proper one, straight ones etc.

The DRS decision of Root raises a question to review the role of third umpire and on field umpire. Probably third umpire needs more power as he has the best view of things. Recently in football, a substitute assisted a goal for the opponent by not even being part of the XI and this was due to the technology feed which picked up the substitute touching the ball before it crossed the line.

Can England play two full days to save this test in a proper bowling track? The pitch is definitely home team advantage and the "dust" in the conversation is something unnecessary. In Australia, players usually get injured from a bouncy pitch. Is there a measure to say that in a bouncy pitch the ball can only bounce till hip high and not over the head? If it was the same pitch conditions all over the world, we would have stopped celebrating this sport.

I think the dust will settle on Day 4 with a 1-1 from Chennai and the bubbles will head to Ahmedabad.

Day 2 - "Wicket Keepers" hold the wicket

Super Sunday watch of test cricket with emotions of audience in the stadium is begging return of normality among sports fans.

Swoosh went the Indian tail but Pant hold tight as the last man standing. Rory Burns back to back zeros and very soon Indian bowlers zeroed in for quick wickets.

Ashwin (Vaathi coming) Translation: “Master coming” attitude (coming back from a five wicket haul already) and spin attack put the English batsmen on the backfoot. He lives up to his word concoction by all means. He is collecting five wicket balls by his five wicket hauls to frame the word Ashwin probably as a souvenir. Ashwin's first time back to back five wickets haul by innings.

Virat’s captaincy was fantastic (I am not a Virat fan) as he only used three bowlers to make big damages understanding the intricacies of the wicket and rhythm of the bowlers in action. The rest of the bowlers will have all the energy to come back for the second innings soon.

Did I say in my preview that a young gun is required to break through? Siraj did exactly the same thing. Root and Stokes wickets were key wicket but the real turning point for a low score was Olly’s wicket of Siraj. Dom Bess’s batting was missed as well by England and personally I think it was a mistake to drop him.

The head space of Pant is very good after his natural batting was approved in Australia and it now showing up in his keeping. Probably Dhoni’s meeting after Australia tour was loaded with some gold dust. The other wicket keeper who did hold the wicket was Foakes. He played a fantastic innings missing his half century by a whisker.

Team India are waiting for the Vaathi Raid (Master’s raid) in the second innings by Ashwin before finding what Rohit and Virat have in mind.

Game on Team India.

Day 1 - Advantage Team India

Good toss to win but the wicket was bowler friendly as expected. The Mumbaikars took the baton to enlighten the effort and progress the day with pride of National integration with just one objective "Team India". The resilience of the team during adverse situation is yet again commendable. It is definitely the “New India” which Virat envisaged.

Rohit Sharma always need a challenge to raise his bar. The pitch was the challenge and a century of 130 balls was his response ending his innings on 161(231) with a strike rate of 69.70 (awesome). His last century was in 2019 against South Africa in a home series.

At the end of the day, India’s run rate was 3.40 in a bowler friendly pitch. The run rate was mainly powered by Rohit initially and later by Pantabulous Pant.

Moieen Ali bowled well to get Virat for a duck which seldom happens. In my opinion, if Dom Bess had played would have strengthened English attack . I am not discounting my appreciation to Moeen Ali. I think England attempted to surprise Indian batters with new bowlers and it didn’t quite work on day 1.

Projection:

If Pant gets going then 425

If Pant get out early then 340

300 runs in this pitch is equivalent to 500 runs in a batting track.

From my gutsometer:

Ashwin, Axar and Kuldeep to compete for five wicket-haul. Kuldeep will lead taking more wickets. The surprise bowler effect will back fire for England in the form of Kuldeep.

It is advantage India at the end of Day 1. Unless Team India does blunders this match, it is poised as an advantage for India.

My team selection was spot on from the match preview above. No one could have imagined Bumrah to be rested which I think is a good move at the end of Day 1. To be honest had a different thought beginning of the day.

Day 2 - <Please come back to read my Day 2 blog>