Rattled India eye ‘turn’around

CRICKET Anthony de mello trophy

Perhaps it’s the fallout of a rare Test loss on home soil. Maybe it is a reaction to the gradual realisation that their path to the final of the World Test Championship has become that much more daunting.

Whatever the reason, India are clearly rattled after the heavy defeat in the first Test earlier this week. And they are making no effort to mask that.

The stoic phlegmatism which characterised the days following their tumultuous meltdown in Adelaide has been conspicuous by its absence since England surged to a 227-run victory at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday. Virat Kohli showed his hand first by castigating spinners Shahbaz Nadeem and Washington Sundar for their underwhelming first-innings display in the post-match press conference. Subsequently, with India making their displeasure at the slow-burning track all too public, frantic efforts have been underway to provide a deck that facilitates faster turn from the get-go for the second Test, starting here on Saturday.

The immediate recourse to the panic button, much as India might vehemently deny it, is hard to comprehend. Surely, India must realise they didn’t do themselves any favours by beginning poorly with ball, and bat. Any ire must be directed inward, any censure centred at their lethargy and tardiness which manifested itself merely in missed chances, fielding lapses, soft dismissals, and an unpardonable 27 no-balls across two innings, including from the spinners.

Admittedly, the rub of the green that propelled them to an epochal 2-1 triumph in Australia remained absent, but this Indian side has repeatedly showcased its ability to make its own luck. The next five days offer a grand opportunity to reprise the magic of 2017, when they rallied from a 333-run drubbing in the first Test to carve out a 2-1 victory against Australia.

That exact score line will formalise a June showdown with New Zealand in the WTC title clash. It’s imperative, therefore, that India take the first step towards that eventuality from Saturday morning, with an expected 15,000 fans in attendance.

Exactly what the outcome is of a cosmetic shake-up to the nature of the playing surface will be apparent only with the passage of time. In theory, the black-soil top-coating to the red-soil base should facilitate turn at a faster pace than on the first couple of days of the last game; it could also precipitate a more rapid crumbling of a dry top, not necessarily what India have relied on over the last half-decade to amass a formidable home record.

Munificent runs from the top order and greater incisiveness from the support spin cast for virtuoso R Ashwin must be on top of Kohli’s bucket list. Under particular scrutiny will be the current and past vice-captains, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma respectively. The permanence of their class has been eclipsed by the fickleness of form; this is as good a time as any to turn the clock back. India also can’t afford to keep Kuldeep Yadav on the sidelines just because they covet depth in batting. The left-arm wrist-spinner could provide the X factor if he can get past the gremlins of self-doubt and a potential loss of confidence of the think-tank.

England have flown under the radar since their brilliant win, structured around their big names – skipper Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Anderson and Jofra Archer. The last two will miss this game along with Jos Buttler and the out-of-sorts Dom Bess. It’s a sign of England’s confidence that they are willing to rest Anderson even though Archer has been ruled out due to injury. It’s also a strong statement of intent that shouldn’t be lost on the hosts.

(R Kaushik is a Bengaluru-based senior cricket writer)