England's tour of India - 2021

[Crassus]

Rant mode coming up so this may just read like the ramblings of a mad man rather than making coherent sense.

Pathetic performance once again. We've actually surpassed expectations as I expected us to be beaten 4-0 but the manner of the last 3 tests has been embarrassing.

Yes we've had a lot to deal with, poor pitches, decisions not going for us and general bubble life but we've been our own worst enemy most of the time. We've won 3 tosses and done nothing with two of them. Our bowling has been hit and miss, sometimes brilliant, sometimes village level. Our batting has just been pathetic, no grit, no fight, no technique and no application.

We've gone into a tour to India who are the best side in the world at the moment, chopping and changing players each match and trying to be too clever. Putting young, inexperienced players into the lion's den like Bess, Crawley, Sibley, Lawrence and Pope. Players who have never faced bowlers like this before, in this kind of heat and having to deal with everything else on this tour.

I knew we weren't ready to go to India and win at the moment, but I expected us to compete a lot more. Particularly as India are no great shakes with the bat themselves in these conditions so it really feels like a missed opportunity. My thoughts pre-series were that it would be a repeat of 2016 with day after day of attritional Indian batting but we've actually taken wickets and restricted India well, it's the lack of big scores that has cost us.

There's just something about England that just capitulates as series go on. If it's not going well we just roll over for our bellies to be tickled. It's either won comfortably and be absolutely hammered with no in between. It's annoyed me too that the white ball stuff has clearly been prioritised over the tests and then thrown in the possibility of players potentially missing the NZ test in June because of the IPL.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

England should expect slow turners for the T20Is as well. The key would be how they would counter Chahal.

 

[Khan Sahab54]

Jonny Bairstow runs in this series:

 

[Khan Sahab54]

Player Of the Match

 

[Aalay]

From England's perspective, I am a little unsure of how to look at this. India's core batting group in test cricket - Pujara, Kohli, Rahane didn't get a single century in this series and, they were all quite poor, India didn't have probably their most in-form player in Jadeja, England won 3 out of 4 tosses, they won the first game and still lost the series by 3-1.

The rotation policy adopted by England was interesting to watch. The bubble life is tiring and frustrating for any individual. At the end of the day, this is still a game and, a player's mental well-being should always be a top priority over anything else. Root would have loved to have his best team on the field for the series but, I don't think that would have made any difference.

From India's POV, another great series. Rohit was the standout batsman for us even when the pitches were not easy to bat on. Akshar coming in and doing an incredible job with his bowling, Pant's keeping getting better throughout the series, Washi and Siraj continue the solid performances that they showed in Australia. Of course, Ashwin was absolute gold and will always be when it comes to test matches in India but, it was great to see new players step up for India in the key moments.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

I wasn't too surprised with the way England played today and was very well expecting the match to end today itself. England had their chances on Day 1 itself batting first on a good batting pitch they managed a below par-205. Some people might bring up an argument that even India were 120-5 at one stage. But, at that stage they still had Pant on the crease and with Washi & Axar still yet to come out to bat, India always had an advantage that they would gain a lead.

Now things actually were in England's control when they dismissed Ashwin. At that stage in the match they would've thought that finally we are going in with a lead. But then as India came closer to England's score the body language had suddenly changed and England turned defensive. And if you want to look at England's frustration then you must look at Ben Stokes reaction on the delivery he pulled out his run-up and it was actually the very next ball to the one when Pant pulled him for four towards mid-wicket to level the scores. And as Pant went on scoring the misery just kept pilling on England. And soon after Washington Sundar took over as India finished with 147 runs with the loss of just 1 wicket of their 32 overs in the last session yesterday. I would say those 89 runs were enough to mentally defeat England in the match.

The additional 71 runs in the morning session today was just a formality that put England out of the match.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Coming to the series, I think India were always going to be the favorites to win this series. Although, England had start their tour of the subcontinent on a high beating Sri Lanka in back to back matches along with their record away from home since 2018 barring the West Indies series in the Carribean. And Joe Root was in a terrific form already, so he just carried that along with him in this series. I think without Sibley's innings, England would've hardly managed to score 350-odd in the first innings of the first Test and that is what they capitalised on. The signs of struggles of the English batsman were already visible in the 2nd innings of that match and the defeat ignited India even more. England actually lost this series on the morning of the 2nd Test at the toss itself when things didn't go according to what they had thought. People would say England competed in the 3rd Test but I would say they were not even close to the competition. Infact, they had handed the match to India already when they got bowled out for 112 in their first innings.

The way Rohit played in this series was a prime example that it is not the conditions that trouble a batsman but it's the mindset. And he had a very clear mindset of scoring runs and therefore he was so successful.

I would not want to say this but all 3 matches that India won were one-sided affairs and actually more one-sided than the match that England had won. Ravi Shastri was saying that England played as good as India did in 2018 on their tour to England. But the truth is barring Sam Curran and a spell each from Anderson at Lord's & Moeen at Southampton, India had performed better than England in that series.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

The last thing I would like to add is Bairstow is an FTB!!!! Let that sink in to Ed Smith!!!!!!!!

 

[Mijurkat]

Lawrence who scored 40-odd in both innings? Pope needs time for sure, he is still very young and would learn as he grows.

Lawrence is a limited overs specialist. 40- odd is not enough. Pope need to work on his technique. I think, Trescothick will take some strict decision.

 

[Ed Smith]

Lawrence is a limited overs specialist. 40- odd is not enough. Pope need to work on his technique. I think, Trescothick will take some strict decision.

Was 40-odd when others were making their 564th duck of the series though.

 

[zimrahil]

But the truth is barring Sam Curran and a spell each from Anderson at Lord's & Moeen at Southampton, India had performed better than England in that series.

The truth is a team never performs better then another team and loses a test series 4 - 1

those performances you highlighted are all part of a team effort and wins the clutch moments of a match etc

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

The truth is a team never performs better then another team and loses a test series 4 - 1

those performances you highlighted are all part of a team effort and wins the clutch moments of a match etc

Top 3 run-scorers and top 3 of the top 5 wicket takers were Indians in that series

Top 2 Highest individual score in that series were by Indians.

2nd best bowling spell in that series was by an Indian.

There were 5 centuries scored by Indian batsmen in that series

Three of the five 5 wicket-hauls in that series were by Indians.

Highest winning margin in terms of runs was also by India.

England's top-order was lackluster in that series and they relied on Sam Curran to deliver for them with the bat. Also India played with an injured player in the 4th Test while they had only 3 specialist bowlers bowling for them in the 2nd innings of the 5th Test since one of the players was injured. Also in 3 of the 5 matches of that series India dominated the match until their 4th innings

 

[Bevab]

Lawrence is a limited overs specialist. 40- odd is not enough. Pope need to work on his technique. I think, Trescothick will take some strict decision.

I think Lawrence is fine, was mystified by his drop in the third test after all the hype around him being England's best domestic player of spin. Pope looked awful versus spin, needs some real practice. Foakes deserves a few more games at the least under the pretense of Buttler playing in the IPL/resting, feel like he could easily match Jos' contributions with the bat if he is properly backed.

And Bairstow's played 73 tests. I said it nearly two years ago that England would be potentially ruining their greatest ODI opener if they kept playing him in tests and it looks like they're really willing to try.

I was wrong about Axar, his lack of playing time in Ranji Trophy did not mean his ability was lacking. Wonder what that means for the rest of our domestic players and the structure though, you've got to be outstandingly good like Mayank, Vihari, Nadeem or Siraj with years of such high quality consistent performances to even be given proper opportunities.

 

[Dutch]

The last thing I would like to add is Bairstow is an FTB!!!! Let that sink in to Ed Smith!!!!!!!!

That's the whole problem: Bairstow sinks into Ed Smith far to often.

Post automatically merged: Mar 6, 2021

I think Lawrence is fine, was mystified by his drop in the third test after all the hype around him being England's best domestic player of spin. Pope looked awful versus spin, needs some real practice. Foakes deserves a few more games at the least under the pretense of Buttler playing in the IPL/resting, feel like he could easily match Jos' contributions with the bat if he is properly backed.

And Bairstow's played 73 tests. I said it nearly two years ago that England would be potentially ruining their greatest ODI opener if they kept playing him in tests and it looks like they're really willing to try.

I was wrong about Axar, his lack of playing time in Ranji Trophy did not mean his ability was lacking. Wonder what that means for the rest of our domestic players and the structure though, you've got to be outstandingly good like Mayank, Vihari, Nadeem or Siraj with years of such high quality consistent performances to even be given proper opportunities.

Root talking about how necessary it is to rotate players to keep them fit. What a load of bull! When has he been rotated?

 

[SaiSrini]

Good win for India, but I kinda felt really bored during this series. Waiting for the limited overs and hoping for more closer contests there, with the likes of Buttler, Bairstow, Stokes, etc. having huge IPL experience behind them.