Seeing the opposition gun down 378-run target in a Test would hurt. It did.
The Indian fans were in for a rude shock when Ben Stokes and Co. chased down the total to seal a famous win, and levelled the series at Edgbaston. “Bazball” was on display as England, under new coach and captain, stamped authority on the last two days and made short work of what looked like a stiff chase against a potent Indian attack.
Jonny Bairstow, who has been on song since the New Zealand series, and former Joe Root, who has hardly put a foot wrong for more than a year now, dominated the chase, and how. The duo hit brilliant individual tons and saw the side home in a hurry. The aggressive brand of cricket worked and India, after holding the edge for the first three days, saw the game slip away.
It was a brand of cricket India have played under Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri in the past but an empty ICC trophy cabinet since 2013 triggered waves of change in the Indian dressing room. Shastri vacated his position after a memorable run with the team and Kohli too stepped down from captaincy across all formats.
Also Read: India captain Rohit Sharma reacts to Edgbaston Test loss
India are now under Rohit Sharma, who missed the rescheduled Test due to COVID-19, and Rahul Dravid, and the duo would now look to apply the finishing touches to the T20 squad ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup. For starters, they must quickly forget the last two days at Edgbaston.
For England, it will be coming to terms with life without Eoin Morgan and new captain Jos Buttler would look to make an early impact against a formidable, and full-strength, Indian unit. Every T20 fixture for every team around the world now would be an opportunity to get their combinations right before the action gets underway Down Under. India have played plenty of T20Is this year which saw the youngsters step up and make a strong case for themselves in absence of the senior players.
Deepak Hooda making a strong case
Deepak Hooda showed brilliance with the bat against Ireland in the two-match T20I series where he also struck a century. Courtesy of his form and the way he has been batting in the recent past (including the IPL), Hooda is likely to get the longer rope and could well occupy one of the slots in the middle order.
He batted at number three in the second game against Ireland but India’s top three will most probably be Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Virat Kohli. Kohli will be available for the second and third encounter.
Hooda is someone who can stick around if the side is in a spot of bother and can also take on the bowlers in the later stage of the innings. Apart from this, he also gives the side a bowling option with his part-time off-spin.
Also Read: Wasim Jaffer opines Rishabh Pant should open in T20Is
Plenty resumes for “extra” vacancies
The auditions for the reserve spots will also be over by the first T20I. Ruturaj Gaikwad hasn’t been in form recently as his only fifty in the last two series came against South Africa. The elegant right-hander would look to get some under his belt if he gets a go in the opener vs England.
The likes of Rahul Tripathi and Sanju Samson too face stiff competition as Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya are likely to be the middle-order batting options. Karthik in particular has been phenomenal on return to Indian colours and has been contributing consistently with the bat lower down the order.
As far as the bowling department is concerned, the newer faces Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi are likely to wait longer as Harshal Patel, Bhuvneswhar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, fit-again Ravindra Jadeja look like the first-choice options going forward. A lot about the bowling combination will be cleared in the upcoming series as all the senior players would be available for selection for the second and third T20I.
Onus on seniors
India has been facing troubles both on and off the field. While the performance has dipped on the field, the COVID-19 and the injury issues have troubled them off it. Rohit Sharma had to miss the Test against England after testing positive for COVID-19.
With the team in desperate need of a consistent run with the core bunch, the responsibility now lies on the shoulders of senior lads to steady the ship, take the charge and hit the right notes ahead of the T20 World Cup.
The squad for the second and third T20I wears a very exciting look with a fine blend of experience and youth.
Virat Kohli’s form has become a cause of concern but everyone knows what this batter with 70 international tons to his name can do on his day. For India, for now, it’s about the senior pros putting their hand up and giving the side much-needed momentum.
Focus on top three
All said and done, India need intent from the top-three and can’t afford to leave too much for the middle and lower-order. In absence of an injured KL Rahul, the management is likely to stick with Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Virat Kohli at top three.
In Rohit and Ishan, India have the perfect left-right combination and an on-song Virat is just what the fans across the globe are waiting for.
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