Would he be able to counter the late swing and attacking close in fields, the perennial challenge in English conditions? Rohit’s response has been stellar. Four players stood out in this respect: Rohit Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, and Virat Kohli.ĭespite scoring five centuries in the 2019 World Cup, there were apprehensions about how Rohit Sharma would fare in red-ball cricket in England. It was a terrific team effort, as the scorecard highlights, with some making a greater impact as their contributions came at crucial junctures when the situation for India was adverse, or the fate of the match was in the balance. I won’t go into details of the Oval match, which are only too well known. London View: Some English Clouds Above The Big Win To precipitate a collapse in the second session of the final day on a true pitch that was flat and true and a draw looking the most likely result was a stunning show, highlighting the caliber of the bowling, but even more so the deep ambition of the team. At the Oval, despite being 99 behind on the first innings, India’s batting had blossomed in the second, to set England a stiff target to win or survive. What should not be obscured, however, in this maze of statistics, is India’s terrific, come from behind performances at Lord’s and Oval in the current series.Īt Lord’s India looked down for the count before being rescued by hardy tailenders, which then allowed the bowlers to put pressure and rout the England batting in under two sessions.
#OPENAL32.DLL MISSING BRIAN LARA CRICKET 2007 SERIES#
The series can’t be lost, but if it is not won, the performance would finish a notch below not just of 1971, but also 1986 (2-0 in India’s favour) and 2007 (1-0). India lead 2-1 in the current series, with the final match still to be played. Jasprit Bumrah – Raised Through Indian First-Class Cricket, Conquering Foreign Grounds That’s what made the achievement special. It must be remembered too that Ajit Wadekar’s 1971 team won the series. Like any first-time achievement, it has a unique significance which will remain unmatched. The 1971 win was the first-ever by an Indian team touring England. However, the comparison shouldn’t be stretched beyond a point. There are some similarities too between the two matches, notably that India had conceded a largish first innings lead both times (110 in 1971, 99 in 2021) before fighting back, with bat and ball, to cut the ground from under the home team and pull off an improbable win. This week’s win made the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the 1971 win even more memorable. With Rare Series Win in Sight, Ajinkya Rahane Likely to Retain Spot in Playing XI R Ashwin Could End Tour Without a Match The first win, incidentally, came at the Oval in 1971 after BS Chandrashekhar turned the match on its head with a devastating 6-38 bowling performance. India have won only seven Tests, which includes the two in this series so far. In almost 9 decades of bilateral contests. Take away victories in the sub-continent and against minnows Zimbabwe, the Oval triumph gets elevated into the upper echelons of such achievement straightaway.īeating England in England has historically been a hugely difficult assignment.
There is a hardship quotient that comes through clearly from statistics: of the 279 matches played away from home, India have won only 55. Overseas Test successes have been sparse for India. In fact, I’d say this win rates among the top 15 in Indian cricket history.
Since this was his 38th win in 65 Tests – a fantastic record in itself - Kohli’s assessment can’t be shrugged off as hyperbole.
Virat Kohli called the Oval Test victory earlier this week among the top three in his tenure as captain. India vs England: At Old Trafford, Chance for Virat Kohli’s To Cememt his Captaincy Legacy