Trisha Ghosal in Manchester
In a five-match series as closely contested as this, it’s often the smallest margins that tilt the scales. And one of the biggest gaps between India and England hasn’t been in the top order but right at the bottom.
India’s tail, wickets 8 to 11, has contributed just 181 runs in six innings across the series so far. That’s an average of 30.17 per innings, with eight ducks. In contrast, England’s last four have added 278 runs in five innings, averaging 55.60, with only four ducks. The difference in output from the tail isn’t just numerical, it’s psychological.
We’ve seen it repeatedly. At Headingley, India collapsed to 17/4 and 15/4 from their No.8s down. At Edgbaston, 29/4 before the middle order took charge, while the second innings ended with a declaration before the tail was tested. At Lord’s, India went from 376/6 to 387 all out in the first innings, and 82/6 to 170 all out in the second, a marginal improvement, but still far from a game-changing tail performance.
At Old Trafford, it was another repeat. India slumped from 337/6 to 358 all out and 12 of those 21 came from Rishabh Pant on one leg. The actual Nos. 8–11. Siraj, Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, and Anshul Kamboj, have offered little resistance except in the Lord’s second innings. They may not be expected to pile on runs, but they are expected to hold up an end, frustrate the bowlers, and allow a set batter to farm the strike. That simply hasn’t happened.
England’s lower order, on the other hand, has stood its ground. Whether it’s Chris Woakes frustrating India or Brydon Curse stonewalling for Jamie Smith to accelerate, England’s tail has done the dirty work. They’ve absorbed overs, added runs, and crucially, tired out the Indian bowlers.
India’s problem isn’t just that the tail doesn’t wag, it doesn’t even stir. In a series where the middle order has had to rebuild almost every innings, the lack of support from the bottom four is bleeding India of momentum.
With England 225/2 and full of confidence heading into Day 3, India’s bowlers may once again be called upon to do what their counterparts have done better all series: frustrate, chip away, and contribute something, anything, when it matters most in the second innings of this Test match.
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