After mauling England in the fifth Test match at Dharamsala recently, India has consolidated its position as the topmost team in the WTC Test rankings. Overall India had a very good series against England and there are many aspects that seem to be a good augury for the future of India in Test cricket.
The host nation’s 4-1 series win was one of the most emphatic victories that it had ever recorded against England. The visitors on the other hand received a rude jolt and Bazball tactics were derailed by a landslide of Indian runs. After winning the first test in Hyderabad and Ollie Pope’s knock of 196, the Englishmen were completely at sea against India in all departments of the game.
From the Indian point of view the most encouraging sign was the emergence of the young brigade. They ensured that the absence of Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami did not stop India from recording huge victories. These youthful players seem ready to follow in the footsteps of the established heroes when they fade away.
Task ahead for India
Now the task ahead for India is to ensure that the momentum gained in this series does not lose its tempo. The youths who have given a grand display against England have to be nurtured along the right lines. What is required is a far sighted approach by the BCCI. If a player has displayed his class then the selectors need to repose their faith in him for long durations and nurture his ambitions.
Successful youth brigade
The brightest star was 22 year old Yashasvi Jaiswal. The way in which he collared the England bowlers left nobody in any doubt about his future potential. His two double centuries in consecutive Tests, made him the third youngest player, after Sir Don Bradman and Vinod Kambli, to score two double hundreds. He richly deserved the Player of the Series award.
Shubman Gill, now 24, was another who played well in this series. Before the series began a few people were beginning to doubt whether he would be able to fulfill the expectations that had arisen around him. But he silenced his critics this time. Mentally he seemed to have matured and played with the right blend of caution and aggression.
26-year-old Sarfaraz Khan made a grand entry into Test cricket. Had he not been run out in an unfortunate manner his very first innings he may have completed a century because he was batting with so much confidence and runs were flowing off his bat with effortless ease. Much more can be expected from him in the future.
In 23-year-old Dhruv Jurel India has found another gem. His skills as a batter and wicket-keeper will be useful for India in the years to come. All these youngsters have come up the hard way and had to overcome financial difficulties before finding success. They will not easily release the gains that they have made. They are fighters and will be ready to compete hard.
Older stars also did well
Apart from the youngsters, our established stars did not disappoint either. Rohit Sharma was slightly off colour on occasions, but his century in the third Test had a stamp of class. Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, R. Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav gave their English rivals a taste of Indian flair in the game that originated in England.
Secret behind Anderson’s longevity
Two players reached important personal landmarks. One was James Anderson and the other was Ravichandran Ashwin. England’s Anderson took his tally of wickets to the magic figure of 700 thus becoming the only fast bowler to reach this target. It has been a remarkable journey for this evergreen pacer. One aspect that often goes unnoticed is that Anderson keeps his focus mainly on red ball cricket and this may have contributed to his longevity in the game.
Ashwin can be relied upon
Ashwin took his wicket tally beyond 500 and played his 100th Test match at Dharamsala. Ashwin too has shown remarkable resilience and motivation to overcome many hurdles in the course of his long career. He is still going strong and India can expect more noteworthy performances from him in the future. Overall it was a very satisfying end to the first of the Test series that India played in 2024.
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