All was going well for England at the end of the first Test. From the jaws of defeat, they had managed to snatch an incredible victory, and all of it was ascribed to Bazball. The truth was that India played badly. The target of 230 was chaseable, and it was more a case of India losing the match than England winning it. But in sport, it is winner takes all. And all of a sudden, the England team could do no wrong.
Now, the picture is radically different. Against a depleted India, missing five of their key players, England had their best chance of winning the series. Instead, they played rank bad cricket and are now 1-2 down going into Ranchi. Bazball has backfired, and the batting did not hold up. Add to that, silly comments like the one made by Ben Duckett about Yashasvi Jaiswal having learned from England. It was only fair that Nasser Hussain tore into him and put him in his place.
Duckett was plain silly to say that Jaiswal is batting the way he is after having taken a leaf out of England’s book. Virender Sehwag actually has a doctorate in this school of batsmanship, while Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist are also past masters. So, England hardly invented this batting wheel. Now, their own media and experts are after them. Each one wants England to be more flexible, while the players and the management want to stick to Bazball and are being stubborn about it.
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The first neutral umpire in women’s international cricket, England’s Sue Redfern says officials can be any gender and can also be leaders in the game.
✍️ @atreyom@Sue_redfern @englandcricket @ECB_cricket#SueRedfern https://t.co/mZ9JSX7l2o
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 21, 2024
That’s what has added to the spice ahead of Ranchi. It is England v England, in a sense. Hussain v Duckett, and other experts against Ben Stokes. All Rohit Sharma and India need to do is enjoy the clash of cricket cultures, and push home the advantage. While England will feel huge relief at seeing Jasprit Bumrah rested, it is also their best chance to go past India. A slip in Ranchi, and the likes of Hussain will be all over Stokes and the team. It is as if the English scribes are now waiting for the team to fail to go one up on them.
This is where Rohit and Rahul Dravid need to be resolute. Make the most of the opportunity and drive home the advantage. Rub salt into England’s wounds and answer Duckett, if need be. Another Jaiswal masterclass will add to the occasion. England, clearly, are on the verge of disintegrating and one more poor batting effort could pile on the misery.
How the tables have turned since Hyderabad. At the end of the first Test, England held all the aces. Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope were stars. Now they are upstarts who don’t want to change their game based on the conditions in the subcontinent.
Is Bazball overrated and is this England team, which has all its batters averaging 40 or less except Root, one that has actually overachieved?
Ranchi, in many senses, could provide the answer. An England win will settle nerves and calm critics. Bazball will have a new lease of life, and give Stokes some ground to stand on. Another failure will mean the knives will be sharpened. Hussain and others will attack Duckett and friends, and every false statement will be pounced on.
For India, on the other hand, things are much saner. Even without Bumrah, the team looks confident. That they were able to rest Bumrah speaks of a certain mindset. The captain and coach are ready to take on England with five of their best players missing, and still feel confident of wrapping up the series. While there is a thin line between confidence and overconfidence, only time will tell if leaving out Bumrah was prudent.
It can be said with a degree of certainty that India have the mental edge ahead of Ranchi. Bazball is on thin ice, and one more bad Test match could make it unviable. Stokes as captain is facing his sternest test, and Root the batter seeks resurrection. Duckett will feel the pressure, and Pope will have to prove that he isn’t a one-Test wonder.
The stage is set. Can Rohit close things out, or can Stokes make a comeback? There is everything to play for in Ranchi, and the added incentive is to answer their own. May be that’s what England need to make a match of it.
India’s commanding victory over England in the 3rd test propelled them to the 2nd spot in the #WTC25 Points Table. Can India make it to the WTC Final for the 3rd consecutive time?
Here’s how the current points table looks 👇@ThumsUpOfficial @debasissen #WTC #indiancricket pic.twitter.com/kFHQMGiGqg
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 21, 2024