Confused India have a battle at hand against confident England

Birmingham: Winning is a habit, so is losing. Else, how does one explain India contriving to lose the series-opening Test in Leeds, where they dominated for most parts before bungling badly on the final day against a courageous England.

Looked in isolation, it’s just the first Test under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, and there are still four more Tests to play for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, starting with the second one in Edgbaston from Wednesday. The team is in transition following the retirements of three greats — Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin — and they are bound to make rookie errors, especially in a place like England where conditions can be demanding even for the most seasoned of professionals.

Scratch the surface though, and one can sense the defeats under the reign of head coach Gautam Gambhir are slowly turning endemic. Since he took charge last July, Gambhir has been involved in 11 Tests, and the results have been disastrous so far — seven defeats, three wins, and a draw. Two of those wins came against Bangladesh, which was followed by a historic 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand — both at home. Mind you, that was with a full-fledged Indian team.

So the scrutiny is bound to rise on Gambhir, who was brought with great hope following his successful stints with Kolkata Knight Riders — both as a captain and then as a mentor. It has been a brutal baptism to one of the toughest jobs in the country, and things are going to get even more arduous for one of the most pugnacious personalities in Indian cricket over the next five weeks.

It’ll start with what combination he and Gill will field, which has been a topic of intense debate since the Leeds debacle. The management didn’t confirm whether Jasprit Bumrah will play, but based on the happenings at the ‘nets’ on Monday, it appears as if the premier pace bowler could be rested with Akash Deep set to get the nod. In such a case, the onus will be on Mohammed Siraj to do all the heavy lifting as Prasidh Krishna and Akash are inexperienced.

There’s also a possibility that India could play two spinners, but whether the second tweaker is a wicket-taker like Kuldeep Yadav or Washington Sundar, who adds depth to the batting, remains to be seen. That decision will also depend on the conditions — both the pitch and weather. Because of the brutal English summer, the pitch appears dry and should be similar to the run-loaded Leeds, but there’s a prediction for rain on the fourth and fifth days, which means spinners may not be that effective as pacers.

Such decisions require deep thought, and Gambhir, pretty much the de facto head considering Gill is just 25 years old, really needs to get the combination right because another defeat would not only leave India on the precipice but amplify the scrutiny on him. The odds are also stacked badly because India are yet to beat England in Edgbaston, having lost seven times and drawn one.

England, on the other hand, are oozing with confidence and love playing here, where the boisterous crowd creates a great atmosphere. Redefining Test cricket with their blistering batting style, they pulled off a win from nowhere in Leeds. The Indians scored five centuries across two innings, but England managed to stay in the game always before scripting a superlative chase on the final day that burnished the image of ‘Bazball’.

It’s the sort of victory that makes a team believe they can attempt the impossible. Such is the confidence, they announced the team will be unchanged, and they’ll be looking to rub more salt into confused India’s wounds.