Ninety years ago, when England first toured India for a Test series, E.H.D. Sewell, player-turned-reporter, wrote in an Indian newspaper: “If compelled to bet, my rupee would be on India. But what a cheerful loser I should be!” Writers tend to hedge their bets. Had Sewell been writing today, he might have said much the same thing, but perhaps with greater conviction in the first half of that prediction.
In recent years India haven’t done too well when they have gone into a series or a tournament as the favourites. Most recently, there was the World Cup; earlier, following a dramatic victory in Australia, they began well in England but were held to a 2-2 draw in a Test series interrupted by Covid. But a home series is different. They haven’t lost one in a decade while winning 36 of 46 Tests played in that period.
India will cross a threshold if things go their way over the next six weeks or so. If they win by a margin of four, they will have more victories than defeats in their Test history. They now have 177 losses to 174 wins.
The Sachin Tendulkar generation began the transformation which saw the team win more Tests this century (113 wins to 68 losses) than in the last (61 wins, 109 losses). Sachin himself was in 72 winning teams.
Different philosophies
Statistics apart, this is about two philosophies facing off. England coach Brendon McCullum might not like the term ‘Bazball’, but it is here to stay. Under McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes England have been successful playing a brand of attacking, entertaining cricket that has brought the crowds back into the stadiums while also earning them 13 wins in 18 Tests. India, keener on winning than on shaping a method, know that victory will dissolve all shortcomings and is a bulwark against criticism.
Some older England players, including Joe Root, one of their greatest batters ever, have adapted well. The new Root, switch-hitting medium pacers for six, would have given his earlier self apoplexy. Only one of their last 18 Tests has been drawn, and only six of India’s last 42. That both teams are allergic to draws should make for an interesting series.
Will Bazball work in India? Theoretically, there is no reason why it shouldn’t, but in practical terms, there are two reasons. One of them is Ravichandran Ashwin and the other Ravindra Jadeja. To be able to do to them what has been done to some medium pacers (including Jasprit Bumrah in the series in England) requires sound technique rather than quick reflexes. It will all depend on how much the England batters allow these two Indian spinners to take up space in their heads. England need to bat long and positively to put pressure on India. It is their best chance.
Their best batter among the Bazball generation, one who was born into the new system, Harry Brook will be missing initially, and may miss out altogether. He had to return home for personal reasons.
As an aside, rather than respect his wishes for privacy, he has been trolled mercilessly by a small segment of the Indian fans. When did decency and compassion disappear from our response to human situations? It is not just embarrassing, it is sickening. Kohli will be missing the first two Tests too; luckily, he hasn’t been accused of running way.
The last time India lost a series at home was a decade ago when England’s spinners Graeme Swan and Monty Panesar outbowled their counterparts, with Ashwin giving away 52 runs for each of his 14 wickets. Since then England lost a series here in 2021.
Indian fans – the genuine ones, not the troll army – will be hoping that England do not jettison Bazball. They have their problems, from getting the team balance right to dealing with the Indian spinners. In a five-Test series, they will be looking to impose themselves on the proceedings from the start. To give up Bazball would be an admission that all the talk around it is just so much talk.
India, even without Kohli, start favourites. They played through most of last century seeking moral victories. Rohit Sharma’s men, however, aren’t so easily satisfied.