Gargi Raut in Manchester
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is poised beautifully with England leading the series 2-1. The caravan now moves to the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, and India face another statistical and psychological mountain to climb. The historic venue has been unconquered by India, despite flashes of brilliance over the decades.
With nine matches played here since 1936, India remain winless, with four defeats and five draws. It is a sobering record that adds extra weight to the fourth Test, and like Edgbaston, will India be able to breach another fortress?
India have struggled at the venue for eras and generations. From the early days of Vijay Merchant’s century in 1936 to Tendulkar’s sublime unbeaten 119 in 1990, individual brilliance has rarely translated into team success.
India’s last outing at the Old Trafford ended in a crushing 54-run defeat, thanks to a top order collapse where India stood 8 for 4; a collapse that summed up the challenges of batting in Manchester.
So, what can India learn from history as they head into a must-win clash?
Adaptability against seam and swing
Indian batters will have to tackle the foremost challenge presented by the venue which is seam and swing. Old Trafford’s conditions have usually offered movement for seamers and the current England bowling lot, consisting of Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes will offer no respite. England will be raring to exploit the conditions. India’s top order must show greater resilience than in previous Manchester Tests, where collapses have been far too frequent.
Secondly, handling pressure in crunch moments has often been where India falter at this venue. And throughout this series, too, there have been moments where India have failed to grab hold of the momentum and take it forward. England’s record at Old Trafford since 2019 has been near-flawless, with victories against sides like South Africa, Pakistan, and the West Indies. Familiarity with home conditions, Joe Root’s average of 65.20 at the venue, coupled with their bowling attack, make them formidable opponents.
Yet, despite being down 1-2 in the series, India has shown heart and some serious gritty fightback. While they sort of dominated large portions of the first three Tests, they only managed to get one win out of it. The series is still alive and open, one win from India could set up an exciting series decider at the Oval. With India’s backs against the wall, this could be the perfect time to rewrite history.
If India can draw on the intensity shown at Lord’s and combine it with tactical discipline, especially with the bat, that they showed in Edgbaston, they might just break their 89-year winless streak in Manchester. More than just a match, this is a shot at redemption and history.
For more such stories, follow RevSportz