The glaring gaps India must fill at the Edgbaston Test

MUMBAI: As India’s second Test against England starts at Edgbaston on Wednesday, fixing the gaps from the opening game defeat at Headingley, where half of the Subhman Gill-led side did extremely well and the other half flopped, will be important.

In batting, Karun Nair’s comeback and Sai Sudharsan’s debut proved forgettable affairs. In bowling, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Kirshna and Shardul Thakur were found wanting in playing the support role to Jasprit Bumrah. These five have been left to rue how their inability to raise their game meant some superb performances by their teammates went in vain and India lost the Test after scoring five Test centuries.

The half which didn’t do well will be battling confidence issues. Nair and Shardul are unlikely to get a long rope. They will have to get their act together quickly while Sudharsan, Prasidh and Siraj too have their task cut out.

As he reflected on his game during the long break between the games, Nair would have seen a pattern in the way his last series went in 2017, and his dismissals in Leeds last week – out playing loose shots.

Inability to capitalise on starts was his undoing in the 2017 home Test series against Australia. He played three Tests and started with a 39-ball 26 at Bengaluru (India won), scored a 47-ball 23 in Ranchi (draw) and was out for five in the final Test at Dharamsala. He looked comfortable in all the games but couldn’t cash in and lost his place in the side. The Leeds Test was his first in eight years and he must guard against giving away his wicket, and focus harder.

Nair’s challenge is also to adjust batting at No.6. Though against the Aussies in 2017 also he batted at No.6 and 7, he would have been more at ease from No.3 to No.5. In England, the team needs him in a different role. His triple hundred (vs England in Chennai, 2016) came at No.5. But Rishabh Pant is established at No.5 and Gill at No.4 while India decided to blood Sudharsan at No.3.

Batting at 6 also calls for the temperament to handle pressure and shepherd the lower order. Fingers were pointed at Nair for the Leeds defeat because the lower order failed in both innings. He fell for 0 and 20 and wasn’t there to guide the tail. In the second innings, Jadeja (25*) tried, but ran out of partners.

SAI’S LEG-SIDE ISSUE

England exploited the weakness of left-hander Sudharsan’s leg-side play, skipper Ben Stokes removing him for 0 and 30 caught on the leg side. In the first innings, he flicked to the wicket-keeper, and in the second he flicked off the pads to short midwicket.

Sudharsan is looking to play his strokes. In English conditions, playing forceful shots is fraught with risk. It is better to play with soft hands and under the eyeline. The ball moves late and it is unwise to look to muscle the ball like in the sub-continent. It demands mental skills, the right gameplan, and constant assessment of the weather and pitch conditions.

PACE ATTACK

Though spinners will have a role to play in Edgbaston, usually in English conditions the onus is on the pacers to lead the bowling. At Leeds, the pacers couldn’t support Bumrah to let him be as effective as he could.

Compare it to the 2021 series – Bumrah had solid support from Ishant Sharma, Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav. Even Shardul provided breakthroughs. In the Lord’s victory, Bumrah went wicketless in the first innings but Ishant, Shami and Siraj shared nine wickets.

On batting pitches, channel bowling is key to build pressure. At Leeds, the pacers other than Bumrah were too inconsistent.

Siraj had figures of 27-0-122-2 (ER 4.51) and 14-1-51-0 (3.64). An India Test pacer for more than four years, more was expected from the Hyderabad bowler. Siraj was inconsistent at Leeds. His cross-seam deliveries were easily dealt with. In English conditions, there is more reward using an upright seam and getting the ball to move. He will have to set the tone for the other bowlers at Edgbaston if Bumrah is rested.

After forgettable figures of 20-0-128-3 (6.40) and 15-0-92-2 (6.13), Prasidh would have learnt that he can’t overdo the short stuff in England. He was hammered from outside off-stump and pulled with disdain. His best chance to take wickets is by pitching it up, as his two second innings wickets at Leeds showed.

The striking thing with Shardul is that when the team is anxious for runs he will make a valuable cameo and when it is desperate for wickets he will provide breakthroughs, not an all-rounder who always hits a fifty and gets five wickets. The typical Shardul was missing at Leeds as spells of 6-0-38-0 (6.33) and 10-0-51-2 (5.10) and being dismissed cheaply (1 and 4 runs) show.

India will need a better team effort than Headingley if they are to come back in the five-Test series.