India stumble in the opening Test of an England series yet again to keep their miserable record intact
India stumble in the opening Test of an England series yet again to keep their miserable record intact
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And even if one leaves aside d ufffdj vu, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coach Duncan Fletcher must sweat over their side's 196-run defeat to England on Day Five of the first Test at Lord's yesterday. The World's No 1 Test side ought to have done better than succumb meekly after the tea interval, a session whose success separates the good sides from the extraordinary ones.
England players celebrate their win over India on Day Five of the first
Test at Lord's yesterday. Pic/AFP
Sure, wickets will be lost on the final day of a Test match. That's why the traditional form of the game is the toughest. But to lose five for 36 runs is unbecoming for a side which can boast of being on top of the charts.
Since 1932, India have been able to triumph in their opening Test in England only once ufffd in 1986.u00a0 Mahendra Singh Dhoni did well to help India draw the 2007 Test here with a gritty 76, but before that, India lost opening Tests in 1932, 1936, 1946, 1952, 1959, 1967, 1974, 1982, 1990, 1996 and 2002. Phew!
To expect India to win yesterday would be unrealistically unrealistic, considering the 458 target. A draw would have been a fairer expectation. But a 196-run defeat? Bordering on the catastrophic!
This series pits the best two Test sides in world cricket. Number three England are well oiled after their home series against Sri Lanka. India arrived from the West Indies in different conditions and had only one game to acclimatise. Several out there in the BCCI are not thinking cricket. The players should be stronger too in their opinions.
On the field, India must face up to the fact that they need to be better prepared to face the tall English attack. There is a lot of youth and enthusiasm in that pack, serious ability too.
Comeback
India have the ability to pick themselves up. They have shown it in the last few years that they can comeback into positions of dominance in every Test they have played. That has stood out in this side. And there are players in the XI who don't shy away.
Gautam Gambhir batted in pain yesterday and Sachin Tendulkar coped with a viral attack. But if they agreed with the opinion of the experts at the media end of the ground that the pitch was still a beauty to bat on, they would be utterly gutted.
That Tendulkar spent 38 balls without scoring a run during his innings of 12 off 68 balls was quite extraordinary.
Suresh Raina showed that his work against pace bowling is paying dividends. How wonderful it would have been if he had got a Test century on his Lord's debutu00a0-- not only for the magical three figures, but for a better look than five wickets for 36 runs.
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