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Andrew
Miller called it the “Battle Royale.” But then he
didn’t have the benefit of hindsight. Two days before
the start of the first Test England’s captain and
vice-captain have already returned home. I call this the
“Great Flood.” A flood of injuries has gripped the
English team, and a flood of players depart for England.
And, if a stomach bug has afflicted the pommies, then it
may be an altogether different kind of flood in the
literal sense!
Before
arriving, England, the #2 ranked Test team, looked like
solid opposition for the Indians. Despite having lost to
Pakistan recently, they were expected to have learnt from
their mistakes and offer a handy challenge to the Indians.
Last month India managed to copy England by achieving the
same feat in Pakistan. Rahul Dravid and Andrew Flintoff
will have a warm handshake when they meet for the first
coin-toss, I suspect. “Yes, you too? We too. Pakistan
are tough buggers at home, eh old chap?”
But
beware the wounded lion. Andrew Miller may have it correct
ultimately. Despite the spate of injuries, here’s why
you should watch what may still turn out to be a keenly
contested affair:
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England
will now be led by their dashing all-rounder Andrew
“Freddie” Flintoff. Flintoff’s last batting
attempts in India were miserable, and the Ashes hero
did not register a single score above 50. In the two
warm-up matches so far he hasn’t clicked as a
batsman yet. Better known for his attacking strokeplay,
it is unlikely that he will be well-suited to anchor
the innings and bat for long periods, crucial
ingredients in the subcontinent. So why mention him?
Contrary to Geoff Boycott’s assessment that the
captaincy will weigh him down further, I feel that it
will require more consistency and responsibility from
him. If so, he can be devastating, especially batting
in the middle order and having the potential to turn a
match on its head.
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England’s
greatest loss, however, will be the loss of arguably
their two most relevant batsmen – Michael Vaughan
and Marcus Trescothik. It is most unfortunate for
cricket’s sake that Vaughan has injured his knee
again and seems unlikely to play for the entire
series. He is England’s most classical batsman in a
long time, and an absolute pleasure to watch. As such,
he is very well suited to playing in subcontinent
conditions where patience and shot-selection are more
important than explosive power. Marcus Trescothik,
England’s fine opening batsman, is also very
well-balanced, and gauges front- and back-foot shots
very early executing them with authority. However, he
has returned home for “personal reasons,” and one
can only hope that they are sorted out soon for his
return. So who does England have left in the batting
department? I highly rate Andrew Strauss,
Trescothik’s opening partner, although he has failed
more often than succeeded. He is very compact, but
also classical in style and the sort of bloke who will
drop anchor and look to bat big. I have a feeling that
England’s current depletion in batting resources may
pull out the best in him as he, like Flintoff, will be
required to focus acutely and bat more responsibly.
Others well-suited to longer innings are Paul
Collingwood, Ian Blackwell and Robert Key, if
selected.
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England’s
greatest (hidden) strength lies in their pace bowling
depth. They may be lacking an experienced spin bowler
on tour, but I don’t feel it will play much of a
role given their pace quartet (although, now triplet,
given Simon Jones’s return to England too). In fact,
in my opinion, it is the most dynamic bowling strike
force in world cricket today. Matthew Hoggard can
swing the ball appreciably, Steve Harmison and
Flintoff average 85 mph and generate considerable
lift, and Simon Jones can generate late movement off
the seam at a very high speed (hopefully he will
return for the ODI’s?). I think these will be handy
enough to test the Indian batsmen. Throw in Monty
Panesar (England’s attempt to kidnap and disguise
Harbhajan Singh) for variation and I think that will
be enough to hold the attention of the Indian batsmen.
So,
what should England’s strategy be? Win toss and
bowl first and try and restrict India with the new ball
and little dew on offer.
Of
course, easier said that done given India’s solid
batting lineup. Although ranked below England, India are
formidable at home and will start as favorites. Their
batting has looked solid for a while, and with Sehwag back
in the squad, they are only short of one opener to
otherwise attack England with a full-strength team. The
inclusion of Wasim Jaffer, to me, is a very positive
decision, and I think the stylish Bombay batsman has the
tools to counter England’s pace bowlers. He plays
similar to VVS Laxman, and has soft hands to blunt the
fast ball. Gautam Gambhir’s recent century in
England’s second warm-up match only further enhances
India’s options/bench-strength.
India’s
strategy
is more straightforward. Win toss, bat first and
pile on 500+ runs in 2 days (Sehwag, Laxman, Dravid and
Tendulkar 100-runs each, and Dhoni and Pathan turning the
screws at the tail-end). Then unleash Kumble and Harbhajan
Singh on an increasingly dry and crumbling pitch.
So,
we have a duel on our hands. My prediction is that India
will win 2-0 (or 2-1), but they have their work cut out
for them. England are slow starters, and although the
first test match is important in setting the tone for a
series, India will do well to stay on guard and be weary
of a backlash should they win in Nagpur. The last time the
Indians played at this venue, the curator left Sourav
Ganguly aggravated by producing a green-top which
Australia’s bowlers exploited to no-end. With
England’s pace bowlers, the Indian batsmen will need to
be watchful if such a pitch is on offer, although it will
certainly spice up the match from the get-go. The Indians
will also do well to guard against any complacency against
an apparently weakened English side. Often times, such
scenarios have been ideal breeding grounds for relative
unknowns to come out and play heroic innings against the
odds. Alastair Cook and James Anderson are no pushovers,
and will be looking to grasp this opportunity to prove
their selection for the national side. We may just have a
royal battle after all.
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