A ‘dead’ rubber in a Test series is no longer an opportunity to experiment with the bench-strength. Thanks to the World Test Championship, no team risks the points earned. Teams in contention for a spot in the final do not get influenced by the outcome of an ongoing series.
When the fifth and final Test between India and England begins here at the picturesque HPCA Stadium on Thursday, there will be no let up in the intensity in both camps. The current 3-1 scoreline could have looked a lot different, but credit to India for seizing the big moments after squandering them in the first Test.
From India’s point of view, it is a good time to reflect on what this series has thrown up instead of being satisfied with the much-anticipated series-win. This series has exposed the vulnerability of the Indian batters even against dubutant spinners in home conditions. In contrast, some English batters gave a much better account of facing quality home spinners.
Barring the exception of the first Test, where England commendably fought back from a 190-run first-innings deficit to turn things around, Indian batters battled tough phases and the bowlers — and not just the spinners — struck when needed.
But the larger question remains. How could England, despite losing the services of its most-experienced spinner, left-armer Jack Leach (36 Tests) after the first Test, keep the Indian batters on tenterhooks for the next three Tests with their grossly inexperienced spin attack?
Debutant Tom Hartley, after four Tests, has 20 wickets and tops the list of wicket-takers in the series. Shoaib Bashir has 12 from two Tests, while Rehan Ahmed has 11 from three. Even Joe Root used the opportunity to make amends for his batting failures in the first threeTests by taking eight wickets in 115 overs!
Though much has been said about England’s continued Bazball approach irrespective of the match-situation, the ability of Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope to deal with the home-grown spinners was lost in the background. The fact that the trio is among the top-six run-getters in the series speaks for itself.
Also, the reverse in the first Test forced the Indian think-tank not to opt for spin-friendly tracks unlike what we saw during England’s previous visit for four Tests in 2021. Mercifully, the Indians did not resort to any such short-cuts in this series.
Overall, it has been a good test for the Test team. Some wake-up calls and some star turnouts. It is now time to consolidate the gains and finish with a flourish.
