– Atreyo Mukhopadhyay
Finally, it’s done and dusted. The Border Gavaskar Trophy ended on a satisfactory note for India as they achieved the double goal of winning the series and qualifying for the World Test Championship final, where they will face Australia again, at The Oval from June 7-11.
There was a lot more turn than twists. This series saw pitches conducive for spinners in the first two Tests in Nagpur and Delhi, a snake pit of a turner in the third in Indore before things came to a quiet end on a featherbed by the banks of Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. The Indians did hold a thin edge going into the last day of the fourth Test, but the pitch was so slow and placid that it became impossible to force a result.
Now that the series is done, it’s time to look back. Shubman Gill returning to the XI and all but cementing his place with a polished century in the last Test, an amazing display of thoughtful and imaginative spin bowling by Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja enhancing his reputation as the finisher on pitches offering turn and Axar Patel’s contributions with the bat in a series where he didn’t get to bowl a lot were some of the positives. Then, Virat Kohli got the century that had eluded him for a long time. There were several highs.
On top of that, this was India’s fourth consecutive series win against Australia. The run which started in 2016-17 includes two triumphs Down Under in 2018-19 and 2020-21. Coincidentally, the margin of victory on all four occasions was 2-1. On a more serious note, not many teams can boast of a record of beating Australia four times in a row. The away wins make this achievement all the more special and memorable.
Looking ahead to the WTC final, for India, it is a matter of going back to where it began. Their 2021-23 WTC campaign started with a series in England. They were leading 2-1 after the fourth match, before Covid complications deferred the fifth. England won that rescheduled fixture last year to square the series 2-2. In all, India played 18 Tests in this cycle, won 10 and lost five. Of the 10 Tests overseas, they won five and lost four.
That’s an impressive record, but disconcerting for India is the news that their trump card in overseas Tests will not be playing the WTC final. Along with Jasprit Bumrah, also missing will be Rishabh Pant, another game changer. More important, India have not played in SENA countries after South Africa in early 2022, barring a solitary Test in England last summer. This means that India will be heading for The Oval without any recent experience of playing in conditions that favour quicker bowlers.
At home, the plan revolved around three spinners, which will obviously not work in England. This means they have to play on drastically different pitches with a different combination and strategy. And Australia will be a tougher opposition in England than they were in India. Factor in IPL in the middle, with its completely contrasting dynamics, requirements and a history of causing fitness-related issues in its immediate aftermath. So there is a lot of planning and management to be done to mount a serious challenge for the title that eluded India at the final hurdle in its first edition.
Perhaps on top of the list of concerns is the wicketkeeper. It would have been unfair to judge KS Bharat on the basis of how he fared in the first three Tests because those were played on pitches difficult for batters and keepers alike. However, Bharat dropped catches and fumbled while collecting the ball even in the fourth game. In England, the keeper and the fielders are crucial because fast bowlers and edges come into play in those conditions more often than they do in India.
India do not have many options behind the stumps. Ishan Kishan was in the squad for the Australia series so it can be assumed the he is back-up keeper. But whether the team management will hand him a Test debut in the WTC final remains to be seen. KL Rahul is also expected to be in the squad, but since he has kept only in limited-over games, handing him the big gloves in a big game may also turn out to be a tricky call.
Having said that, the captain, coach and selectors have a bit of time to think about the WTC final. They don’t have to decide anything right now. For now, they have an ODI series coming up against Australia from March 17, which means they hardly have time to enjoy the Test series win and let that feeling to sink in. Let them do that for the moment before we come back with the more pressing issues.