How India are losing the plot

Manchester: Right after Mohammed Siraj was bowled by an innocuous delivery from England’s Shoaib Bashir, the disappointment was evident on the faces of the Indians in the third Test at Lord’s. Siraj, who had put up a spirited defence for little over an hour for the final wicket, squatted in agony, non-striker Ravindra Jadeja looked heavenwards almost expressionless while coach Gautam Gambhir, seated in the balcony, was sullen-faced following the 22-run defeat.

Even after the English players patted and praised Siraj and Jadeja for their valiant efforts — the duo needed to forge a 46-run partnership for the final wicket to pull off an incredible victory — it took a long while for Jadeja and Siraj to compose themselves. Siraj berated himself continuously and even punched his bat repeatedly while Jadeja barely spoke a word, the southpaw devastated despite his gritty 181-ball 61 India went down 1-2. While Jadeja and Siraj gave it their all, the team is to be blamed in total for having squandered a great opportunity to go 2-1 ahead. In fact, had India seized their moments in the series opener at Headingley, they would have taken an unassailable 3-0 and become just the fourth from the country to post a series win at Old Blighty.

This has been the biggest problem for the Indian side this series, their inability to press forward when they have been in the front. Well-set batters suffering lapses in concentration just before and after intervals, wickets falling in a heap due to silly mistakes and the inability of centurions — barring Shubman Gill in the second Test at Birmingham — to score daddy hundreds have all contributed to India staring at the abyss when ideally they should be looking down on the English after having dominated the series for most parts.

Take the opening Test at Headingley. KL Rahul perished for 42 in the penultimate ball before lunch, going for an expansive drive and edging to first slip. Then debutant Sai Sudharsan departed five balls into the second session as India slipped to 92/2. India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) in the second over after tea but those dismissals didn’t affect them much as they took stumps at a commanding 359/3. The horrors of the second day though cost them the Test. Cruising along nicely, Gill fell against the run of play for 147 and from 430/4, India slumped to 471 all out.

The pattern ensued in the second innings too with Pant (118) gifting away his wicket just 20 balls before tea on the fourth day. Rahul then fell following a superb 137 and from 333/5, India slipped to 364 all out. India should have set England a target in excess of 450 but mistakes after mistakes left England with only 371 on a flat surface and they chased it down in blazing fashion to go 1-0 up.

Gill even acknowledged the failure to build on as a big problem and the captain led from the front in the second Test at Edgbaston where his exceptional 269 in the first innings and a cracking 161 in the second saw India rake up 587 and 427/6 declared, his history-making knock powering them to a 336-run victory.

The mistakes, though, resurfaced at Lord's. On the second day with India motoring along nicely following an early stutter, Pant called for a quick single in a bid to put Rahul back on strike so that he gets a hundred. Ben Stokes ran Pant (74) out sensationally, India losing a set batter once again in the last over before tea. India then lost centurion Rahul (100) just 10 balls into the final session. It wasn't long before India fell apart to 387 all after cruising along smoothly at one stage.

Disaster struck in the second innings too, India losing three wickets in the last hour — slipping from 41/1 to 58/4 — of the fourth evening in pursuit of 193. On the final morning, things just went from bad to worse as they lost three wickets in a space of 23 balls in the opening hour that effectively killed their victory hopes. Test cricket requires immense application for longer periods of time, and Indians really have to apply themselves in the remaining two games to avoid this pattern.

Highlights - Losing momentum  First Test India lost KL Rahul (42) on the penultimate ball before lunch. From 91/1, India slipped to 92/2, as Sai Sudharsan lasted five balls after lunch.  Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) was dismissed in the second over after tea.  On the second day, from 430/4, India collapsed to 471 all out. In the second innings, lost Rishabh Pant (118) just 20 balls before tea on the fourth day. Then slipped from 333/5 to to 364 all out. Third Test In the first innings, a well set Pant (74) called for a needless single and was run out brilliantly by Ben Stokes in the last over before tea. India then lost centurion Rahul (100) just 10 balls into the final session. India collapsed from 376/7 to 387 all out.  On the fourth day while chasing 193, India lost three wickets in the last hour, slipping from 41/1 to 58/4.  On the final morning, lost three wickets in a space of 23 balls in the opening hour to slip to 82/7.