One of the big drawbacks for India in the first Test in Chennai, as captain Virat Kohli pointed out after that match, was the pressure rele...
One of the big drawbacks for India in the first Test in Chennai, as captain Virat Kohli pointed out after that match, was the pressure released by their bowlers which allowed the English batsmen to feel comfortable at the crease. The loose deliveries undid the good work done by some of the bowlers and enabled the visitors to post a mammoth, match-winning total in the first innings.
But that wasn’t the case in the second Test. India’s bowling attack, led by Ashwin Ravichandran and Axar Patel, was on the money throughout and persisted with a tight line and length. The pitch was, of course, much more conducive to spin but the bowlers played their part by being patient. India bowled a total of 114.1 overs in the match, out of which Ashwin and Axar bowled a combined 82.5 overs and they were relentless.
However, there was one other factor that led to England managing just 298 across their two innings in the second Test: their passivity with the bat. Again, India had favourable conditions and their spinners did what was expected of them, but as far as England were concerned, their batsmen didn’t do much to help themselves either.
There was a time when India would travel to...
