After such an impressive performance at Hyderabad, two successive losses in Visakhapatnam and Rajkot mean that England is now staring down the barrel of yet another Series defeat in India.
However, Coach Brendon McCullum is confident his side can fightback in the Series.
“The dressing room is a very strong place where confidence is high, and guys are backed to go out there and allow their talent to flourish. If we allow the outside noise to seep in, that’s our problem.”
McCullum: BBC Sport
Given that England were in such an acceptable position on Day 2, there is no doubt that Joe Root’s wicket at 224-3 changed the entire complexion of the game, as England lost their last seven wickets for 95 runs, giving the hosts a significant first innings lead of 126 runs.
Now the team might say ‘well that’s the way we play.’, but there is one more important aspect of test Cricket which is assessing the situation, which a world class player like Root is normally particularly good at.
If you look at England’s record in the Stokes/McCullum era, fourteen wins from twenty tests is a good start, but what you must remember, is the opponent you are up against.
Rohit Sharma’s side, ranked second in the test rankings, and this are not just they are as a coincidence. The fact that they have been in the two World Test Championship Finals, shows that their standards are set extremely high in terms of wanting to be the best team in the world.
if you are slightly ahead of the match. You dare not give them an inch of coming back in the game. As they are ruthless in taking advantage of those situations, which is exactly what they did in Rajkot.
Before Bazball, Root’s average in tests was 49,32, and since the Bazball era has begun, it has jumped to 50.12.
Not to say that this is a good or sad thing. But there is a thin line between being ultra-positive and reckless. The first innings dismissal unfortunately was on the reckless side, especially the timing of it.
If you look at the way sides like Australia and New Zealand play. Yes they are aggressive. But Steve Smith and Kane Williamson are their best batsman. They always put a price on their wicket. This means they don’t just throw it away, they make the bowlers get them out.
Embed from Getty ImagesYou could even say the same thing about Virat Kohli. Who sadly is missing out in this series, due to the birth of his second child.
Embed from Getty ImagesEngland should look at Yashasvi Jaiswal 214 in the second innings, where he took 49 balls to hit his first boundary, and then he began to shift gears in terms of knowing when to attack bowling.
In cricket, there is also a saying that catches win matches, and had Root held on to the catch that Rohit Sharma present to him when he was on 27, things may have turned out to be different in terms of India’s first innings total, especially with the fact they were 47-3.
The next test in Ranchi starts on Friday, and it will be interesting to see how England go about learning from their mistakes from Rajkot and try to amend them in the 4th test.
Can England bounce back in India?
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