Boria Majumdar in London
As the dust settles on a heart-wrenching Lord’s defeat, it’s time to think what India need to do going ahead to Manchester.
First things first, this team has shown fight. Once India were reduced to 81/7 on the fifth morning of the third Test, I for once feared that they would get bundled out for 100 and it would be a telling blow to the team’s morale. And when Nitish Kumar Reddy was out just on the stroke of lunch, my fear was reinforced. With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj left to assist Ravindra Jadeja, not much hope was left for India.
Or so I thought. Little did I imagine that Bumrah would play 55 balls, and he and Jadeja would keep England at bay for over two hours. The fight was stellar and the determination fantastic to see. While Bumrah did eventually fall to an ambitious shot, Siraj, the new man in, was determined to back Jadeja up in every way possible. He too played 30 balls and that was what India wanted to see. Resistance. Pluck. Fight. And that’s what they got.
And Jadeja, who got a lot of hate after the Edgbaston Test, was yet again stellar. He has been one of Indian cricket’s all-time greats and has always shown character when it is needed. The resistance was heroic and the self-belief staggering. At no point did he let the pressure get to him, and players like Washington Sundar need to learn from him how to farm the strike and bat with the tail.
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But looking at Manchester, the one thing India need to get right is the No. 3 position. It is one of the most important positions in the batting order and we have now seen Karun Nair get starts and fail to convert multiple times. Make no mistake, he has looked good. He has also helped take the shine off the new ball. But just when he appears well set, he gives his wicket away. As a No. 3 batter you can’t do that and either the management needs to have a word with him or look beyond him, and go to Sai Sudharsan, who has worked the hardest at the nets. This is one position that remains a major issue and India will desperately need it solved for Manchester.
Up north it will be cooler. India will surely need Bumrah to lead the attack and should believe that they can yet again stage a comeback. Lord’s has ignited hopes that they can. A rare failure from Shubman Gill at Lord’s should be treated as an aberration. With the captain desperate to make amends, there is plenty to look forward to in the series.
Lord’s is now history. The heartbreak is real but over and done with. Sport always gives you a second chance. It is time for India to grab it.
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