India hope for a turn-around in fortunes

It was a wicket that India hadn’t encountered in the recent past and the bowlers failed to step up to the plate when it mattered. India should have done the homework from the tough Rajkot lessons and hope for a turnaround in fortunes when the two sides meet here for the second Test starting at the Dr. YSR ACA-VDCA Stadium here on Thursday. With the curator promising a turning track, India wouldn’t find themselves in an ‘alien land at home’. 

With England playing exceptionally well — they are at the back of a record four centuries in a Test match (no team has done that in India since 2012), the emergence of Haseeb Hameed as an opener, Ben Stokes graduating from a hopeless player of spin to one of the best, skipper Alastair Cook’s love of scoring runs against India, England’s spinners over shining their Indian counterparts — they are a well-oiled machine, all raring to go and shed the self-proclaimed tag of ‘underdogs’.

India seem to have sorted their top-order woes by including K L Rahul in the squad sending a clear message to Gautam Gambhir, who scored 29 and o in the first Test, that he would have to sit out. Partnering Murali Vijay, Rahul, at the back of a century in Ranji Trophy, would hope to provide the solidarity India needs to build a strong foundation. 

Fielding was one of departments where India almost lost the game in the first Test. After grassing five chances in one innings, it wouldn’t be optimistic for any team to crawl back into the match and India should take the ‘catches win matches’ tagline a tad more serious. 

Cheteshwar Pujara found himself among the runs again with a masterful century in his home ground and the one-drop batsman should continue his good work, given the confidence with which he went about in discharging his duties. With Virat Kohli in good nick, the top order looks a settled unit. 

With scores of 13 and 1 in two innings, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane couldn’t create a huge impact in the first Test. The right-hander known for his technique and composure needs to get some runs under his belt and protect the lower order from getting exposed to England’s spin trio. Rahane should learn to put a price on his wicket after misjudging Zafar Ansari’s length in the first and looked all at sea against Moeen Ali in the second innings at Rajkot. 

India’s spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja would be itching to make amends for the faux pas in Rajkot, of course, with some assistance from the 22-yards. The pace battery of Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav, who bowled their heart out, with minimal assistance from the pitch and the fielders, should retain their place in the team.