While the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill have shown they can in the odd innings, the consistency with which Indian batsmen of the past used to take apart the spinners is not seen these days. (PTI Photo)At the end of a 10-minute press conference where West Indies captain Roston Chase spent most of the time listing out the profiles of his teammates, he was brutal when it came to the assessment of the outside world about his own team. “Everyone is expecting us lose,” he said. It may be true in many ways, except in the case of their opponents, India.
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Twelve months back, this is what everyone thought when New Zealand arrived here for three Tests. Their captain Tom Latham had echoed on similar lines then, but went on hand India a 3-0 series loss, their worst-ever in history. This might be a different looking Indian team to the one that featured in that whitewash, but the scars hasn’t seemed to have healed at least for those who were part of that series.
West Indies’ captain Roston Chase during a press conference ahead of the Test against India at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (AP Photo)
Despite having a short turnaround from the Asia Cup to the start of the first Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday, the intensity at India’s net session revealed how badly and quickly they want to switch on the red-ball mode. Having completed two challenging tours of Australia and England with a huge transition taking place in between the two series, India’s next three Test assignments are at home against West Indies and South Africa (November), and Sri Lanka away next August. In terms of setting the tone for the remainder of the World Test Championship, the series against West Indies is all the more crucial for India to get back to winning ways, having gone an entire 12 months without a series win in Test cricket.
“Very important,” captain Shubman Gill said in response to the importance of the West Indies Tests. “I think we are playing in India after almost a year. And any series that we play anywhere in the world is as important to us as any series. And yes, we will be looking to dominate the series like any other series or any other match that we play. It is a very important series for us and this cycle to be able to get into the World Test Championship final is very important. And we will be playing with everything that we have got,” Gill said about the team’s intentions.
Gill’s words reflected in India’s training session. As the rest of the team had a gruelling net session at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium in humid conditions on Wednesday morning, seamer Jasprit Bumrah bowled full-throttle, by bowling just to one stump. Despite the medical team monitoring his workload, and the selectors even pondering him to rest him for the series before the Australia tour, the premier pacer made himself available for the series. And here he was, looking to get that razor sharp accuracy with just one stump to aim at. With an already crazy average of 9.23 against West Indies in two Tests, Bumrah seems to be in the mood to be even meaner this time.
Jasprit Bumrah bowls during a practice session ahead of the first Test against the West Indies at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (AP Photo)
This was not just restricted to Bumrah. Having bowled for long on Tuesday, pacers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna restricted their net session to batting alone as Kuldeep Yadav toiled hard to ensure in case it comes down to playing three spinners, he should own up the spot ahead of Axar Patel. The two bowled in tandem with Axar too not giving an inch as veteran Jadeja without the company of Ashwin for the first time in his Test career at home, appeared every bit the lead spinner troubling the likes of KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal. Shouts of ‘oohs and aahs’ from the spinners hung in the air as they tested the batsmen with turn and bounce.
India’s players warm up during a practice session ahead of the first Test against West Indies at Narendra Modi Stadium. (AP Photo)
If there is one aspect that India ought to set straight to get back to the era of dominance it is undoubtedly their game against spinners, particularly in home conditions. In recent years, the frontline batsmen have struggled in slow, spin conditions. Even though the number of matches they played on rank turners came down considerably, they haven’t been able to brush under the carpet as to how they have crumbled when put under pressure even by inexperienced spinners.
While the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill have shown they can in the odd innings, the consistency with which Indian batsmen of the past used to take apart the spinners is not seen these days. It was a point acknowledged by head coach Gautam Gambhir and to bolster it is why they looked at B Sai Sudharsan. Before New Zealand finally exposed their chinks in the armour, against Australia and England, it was their lower-order that included the spin-bowling all-rounders that kept bailing them out with crucial runs that often proved to be the difference. While they still have Jadeja, Washington and Axar, for India to stamp their era of dominance, they need the batting to fire as a unit. In England, the batting unit offered plenty of hope and promise, and at home where the conditions are expected to be similar, another similar show will do the dressing room a world of good. To play at home without home advantage can’t be a good feeling, and to do that, the batsmen need to crank up their spin game.
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