India's Batting Collapses ... Again

Sunil Gavaskar

(Apologies for lateness of today's report but the server was down this morning)
 In the dark days of Indian cricket before Kapil Dev revealed that bowlers from the land of Kipling's Gunga Din could bowl more than spin, fast bowlers used to terrify the wristy Indian strokemakers. So much so that Bishen Bedi once declared an innings closed against the West Indies rather than risk further injuries. Then came Gavaskar, a little man with a resolute defence and perfection in the cross bat shots that took the game back to rough uglies who grunt and growl and hurl their missiles from 20 metres. "The Colonel" Vengsarkar took a different approach, standing tall and smiting back foot drives and Vishwanath cut, hooked and pulled anything buoyed in his last days by the adventurous now batting around him. 

Where have all the hookers gone? Sounds like the opening line from a Frank Sinatra press conference but successful cross batted aggression is what India have needed on this tour as they have faced up to what is now a pace attack the equal of South Africa.

At Edgbaston, the pitch was green and spicy, the weather overcast and the air thick, so it was no surprise that Andrew Strauss sent India into bat. Its the third time in the three Tests of this series that the side batting first has been asked to but the first time its been done with aggressive intent. At Lords and Birmingham, Dhoni didn't want to expose his troupes to the English quicks when the pitch was fresh, so bowled in their defence ... fat lot of good it did them.

Gambhir plays one
on from Bresnan

By lunch, India were 4-75, with the courageous but damaged shoulders of Sehwag unable to hold the hopes heaped upon them as he left first ball, faintly gloving to Prior a shortish ball from Broad. On another day, he might have smashed it past point. Tendulkar did little better, lasting less than three overs before edging a regulation outswinger from Broad to Anderson at third slip. In between, Gambhir batted until he looked completely set again before putting an inside edge on a ball which had already beaten him from Bresnan and sending it to leg stump instead of off, where it was headed from the hand. How many times in his Test career has Gambhir been out when the worst was seen off? Dravid was wonderful again, full of stoic defence and shortened backlift as he refused to allow the English to have his wicket. It wasn't pretty but it was pretty effective and few finer men have still been playing the game aged 38. In the end, Bresnan bowled him the ball of the series to end his innings and the first session. Dravid played at the ball where he had every right to expect it to be, but like Gatting had at Manchester nearly twenty years ago, it was not there, having moved in then cut away and the off stump was disturbed.

Dhoni hits one of three
sixes

After lunch, India were 7-111 in forty minutes, with Raina and Mishra out to straight balls and Laxman half-pulling for the third time in the series, this time down the throat of Broad at fine leg. MS Dhoni then took the game up to England, batting securely for the first time in the series. He always looks so much the batsmen when he is playing aggressively. He added 84 with Praveen Kumar. Normally a four or out batsmen, Kumar managed enough defensive shots - not many of which were in any of the standard coaching manuals - to provide Dhoni with support. Again the crowd had to endure the boring, negative Test cricket norm of eight men on the boundary when Dhoni faced and once again, it had its effect on the bowlers, as they lost their line and zest. If you are on top, stay that way! The cricketing public can only hope that one of the international cricket coaches can convince his captain to keep his foot on an opponent's throat.

Cook takes a lookaway
fluke at silly point

When Kumar went hooking at Bresnan long after it was time to get into position - Sharma hung about for nearly three quarters of an hour while Dhoni added most of a further 29. The innings finished with Cook catching a backfoot drive from Sharma under his armpit. India's final total was nowhere near enough and they have again failed to post 300 in this series. There can be no comparison between the top sevens.

Broad and Bresnan took four each but Anderson was just as good.

The England openers had little trouble breezing to 84 at stumps, with Strauss in particular looking fluent. It was his first half century since Sydney, when he had the bowlers serving him up half volleys and half-pitchers and blew a hundred which Cook, Bell and Prior didn't. Bell will bat next and Bopara at six, it must be said, if needed!

It's such an easy game when you are at the top of yours!