Familiar failings in English conditions come back to haunt India, agree Anis Sajan, Mr Cricket UAE and Gulf News editors.
India; New Zealand; Virat Kohli; Kane Williamson; World Test Championship; cricket
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India; New Zealand; Virat Kohli; Kane Williamson; World Test Championship; cricket
See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos
Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km
Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV
#UAEnews #cricket #WorldTestChampionship
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00:00What a deserving win they have had. Two years before, at Lourdes, they had lost to England the ICC World Championship.
00:08And today, they have won this LSU, the ultimate World Test Championship. And the wait for Virat Kali still goes on.
00:16Hello everyone. Welcome to Straight Bad with Gulf News and Mr. Cricket UAE, that is Anish Sargent.
00:28Here we are back today with the ultimate test, that is the World Test Cricket Championship between India and New Zealand.
00:37New Zealand has turned out to be a worthy victors. Eight cricket victories and that too in a match which we thought would be affected by rain.
00:45In fact, it was affected by rain. Two full days of play lost and several sessions lost to rain.
00:53But yet, in the end, New Zealand won by eight wickets. With me to discuss the match is Anish Sargent and Gautam Bhattacharya.
01:03Anish, what do you make of the match?
01:06Good evening, Shyam. Good evening, Gautam. Good evening, all the gorgeous people of Gulf News.
01:12Yesterday, when we were talking, we thought draw is the likely result. But New Zealand bowlers had other ideas.
01:18And when they were chasing a meagre total of 139, Williamson and Ross Taylor soaked up the pressure put on by Ashwin in the start.
01:26And what a deserving win they have had. Two years before, at Lourdes, they had lost to England the ICC World Championship.
01:35And today, they have won this LUSU, the Ultimate World Test Championship. And the wait for Virat Kali still goes on.
01:43So, this has been cricket at its highest quality. One team, the deserving team has gone on to win. That is New Zealand.
01:49Gautam, you can't judge New Zealand's victory, is it?
01:53No, no. Absolutely not. I mean, it was a very fulfilling test match.
01:59And New Zealand, as Anishbhai said, I mean, it could be just a coincidence, but it started as a cycle.
02:06I mean, within months of that heartbreak at Lourdes, this World Test Championship cycle started with the ashes.
02:12And today, New Zealand's journey ends in a brilliant fashion.
02:16I mean, it's actually poetic justice, isn't it? Having lost the World Cup so closely.
02:24Having won games so closely and yet losing in a very tragic fashion. So, this is justice served in a manner of speaking, really.
02:33Absolutely.
02:34But if you look back, the seeds of this victory has been laid in the run-up to this tournament or run-up to the test.
02:43Can you elaborate on that, Anish?
02:47Of course, Shyam. You know, when you talk about the first innings of India, when we are 142-3.
02:54Going into the third day, after the first day was washed out.
02:57Carl Jemison came back and took the prize wicket of Virat Kohli.
03:02And then he picked up four more wickets. And that is where he halted India to 217.
03:08And mind you, India had come back with the bowlers.
03:11But the last five batsmen put on 110 runs whereas India's last five batsmen put on 60-odd runs.
03:16So, that 30 runs lead, in the end, to be very honest, proved to be very, very disappointing.
03:22So, it was like gold dust for New Zealand.
03:25And that 30 runs, I wouldn't say that made New Zealand win.
03:29But probably with that mindset, India went into the match to save the game rather than to go for a win.
03:35And in the end, New Zealand were too good both with the ball, with the bat.
03:39And mind you, they held their catches, bearing one drop catch of Shappan by Saudi.
03:46Before the test started, I had personally put my neck out and said that the team which bats better will win.
03:55Simply because that was on the basis that both the teams have very good pace attack.
04:00So, whichever batsman conquers the conditions will win.
04:05Gautam, did that happen here?
04:08Yes, absolutely, Shyam.
04:12If we compare the two, a number of factors made the difference.
04:15One of the biggest factors was Ken Williamson's approach in both the innings, 49 and again a half century here.
04:22The other thing was the contribution of the tail-enders, the three key partnerships in the first innings
04:28which gave them those 25-30 runs but as Anish summed it up, worth its weight in gold.
04:36And then finally, the overall quality of swing bowling between the two teams.
04:43That again made the difference.
04:47Gautam, you hit the nail on the head there.
04:50New Zealand as a bowling pack bowled much better than India.
04:55Do you agree with that, Anish?
04:58Yes, of course, Shyam. You have to agree that.
05:00I remember we were discussing in the first night when India had batted that probably New Zealand has missed the trick by not taking a spinner.
05:07And in the end, we felt that it was turning and biting when Ashwin was bowling and to some stage Jadeja.
05:13But you have to give it to their bowlers after that first hour on the first, second day rather when India batted.
05:19Their bowlers came back and kept that tidy line and length wherein Indian bowlers were a bit short in their length.
05:25Especially the fast bowlers, Bhoomra, I would say more of even the other fast bowlers erred in their length.
05:32And that was the difference between the two sides.
05:34If you see the height which Kyle Jameson used, he was making sure that he was bowling that back of the length ball
05:40which was straightening enough where the batsmen like Virat Kohli were just poking it and edging it.
05:45And that proved to be the difference.
05:47The swing bowling of New Zealand was better than the Indian swing bowling.
05:51India was more of seam. New Zealand was more of swing.
05:54I know it's no point in discussing what happened earlier.
06:02But we did mention in our preview about the balance of the attack, whether the side India needed two spinners.
06:09So in hindsight, that didn't really work out, did it Gautam?
06:16Two spinners was a luxury in this pitch.
06:19Yes, we'll have to admit that two spinners, the ploy of keeping two spinners,
06:25especially when India got the opportunity to change the side if they wanted to, that didn't work.
06:31Because till the fifth day, there was hardly any wear and tear on the wicket.
06:39I mean, whatever was there, some bowlers' foot mark, but it was a very good wicket.
06:43Sporting wicket, I would say.
06:45And today, Ashwin, he was trying all the tricks in the bag, get something out of that.
06:50One that straightened, that gave him a wicket.
06:54Another one was his, you know, that hurried through.
06:58But overall, you know, two spinners, as Nasir Hussain, I think, said at one point of time that it's a luxury.
07:06He was very cathartic about it. And I think we'll have to agree with that.
07:13And you see, before the test match started, because India had announced a team,
07:19and Sunil Gavaskar said on the fourth and fifth day, the spinners could be a handful.
07:23Could be very handy, actually.
07:26But when you look back, even in the Indian victories in England,
07:31where I can only remember the 1971 win being brought by the spinners,
07:37that is that too, with a wizard called B.S. Chandrasekar.
07:41After that, it has been the Indian media people's faces who had carved out victories for India.
07:47So I don't remember a time when, after barring 1971 or after the post-71 session,
07:53I don't remember an instance of spinners bringing victory for India in England.
07:57So I don't know where this undue emphasis on spinners...
08:05I mean, this is not the first time.
08:07I remember Anish even mentioned that last time also, during a tour of England,
08:12Shastri and Kohli made the mistake of packing in a spinner when pace was the order of the day.
08:18So can you elaborate on that?
08:20Yes, Shyam. You know, let's be very upfront about it.
08:25That India had an opportunity, like Gautam mentioned, to change the squad after the first day was washed out.
08:32And you could see the forecast as well as it was cloudy and the condition demanded an extra seamer.
08:38If India wanted to go with one spinner, it would have been fine.
08:42Now today, it's easy for us after the defeat to speak.
08:45But it was more logical and that is why probably New Zealand did not go without any spinner,
08:51which was like taking a big, big risk.
08:53But India had the luxury of having one spinner.
08:56So in hindsight, we probably felt because the bowlers were tiring,
09:01whether it was Shami, Bhumrah or Ishan, after bowling long spells.
09:05So that one extra seamer would have definitely made a difference.
09:08And who knows what would have happened if we had gone with that extra seamer.
09:12Because in the end, we took that spinner in Jadeja, who we thought would bat.
09:16But unfortunately, he couldn't deliver with the bat.
09:19And with the ball, I'm afraid also he couldn't pick up any wickets.
09:23In hindsight, we can say India probably missed a trick by not picking up that extra seamer in Siraj.
09:32Anyway, the match is done and dusted.
09:34And New Zealand are the winners of the ultimate test and thoroughly winning side really.
09:40And Kane Williamson for his fantastic effort, they deserved it.
09:44Now, where do India go from here?
09:46Because we have the test against England coming up.
09:50Gautam?
09:52Yeah, I think, see, there is no need to worry as such.
09:56Here, we are talking about the spinner, all right.
09:59But it's also a fact that in both innings, the batting imploded to a certain extent.
10:04First innings, we have discussed about it from that 146 for three.
10:08In 70-odd runs, losing seven wickets.
10:12Second innings, if Rishabh Pant hadn't played that innings of 41,
10:17you know, the match would have been over much before.
10:21It would have been very embarrassing.
10:22Yeah.
10:23So, if the batting remains a key area, then that, you know, that additional spinner or not,
10:28I mean, that factor gets resided into the background.
10:31But I'm sure, you know, that the team's think tank, the decision is going to be questioned.
10:37Number one.
10:38Number two is there is a six-week gap now before the first test starts on August 4.
10:45And the team is actually getting holiday for some three weeks.
10:49So, they'll be doing their holiday there.
10:51But in this, in the meanwhile, what's happening is India, the Indian B team,
10:57they're playing this one white ball series in Sri Lanka.
11:00So, depending on how Bhuvaneshwar Kumar's fitness holds up,
11:04if he can bowl that 15, 17 overs on a given day, then one can think about it.
11:11It's actually optional.
11:13The only advantage with him is he's a guy, he's an all-rounder actually, you know.
11:19So, otherwise, you already have Sridhar in the team.
11:22He deserves a break.
11:24He's a superior quality swing bowler, really.
11:27And he's a very rhythm bowler.
11:29I mean, he's a guy who can really do the damage if he's up to it.
11:35Anil, what do you think of the India prospects for the forthcoming test against England
11:39and especially in view of this defeat against, say, New Zealand for that matter?
11:45I would say that, I mean, India may have lost.
11:48But there is nothing to be ashamed of because they had a very good run up to the tournament.
11:54They were beaten by a wonderful side or a good, very balanced side.
11:59So, now what we need to look at is the test series coming up against England.
12:05And your thoughts on that?
12:07You're absolutely right that you don't have to be ashamed.
12:10One team wins and one team loses.
12:13But like Gautam mentioned, you know, it's the batting which is the worrying thing.
12:16After the Australian series, if you see, even on England, against the test series in England,
12:21India's batting faltered when they lost the first test match.
12:24And then bearing Rohit Sharma, who played one innings of 160.
12:28Rest all the batsmen have struggled, whether it is Pujara.
12:32We had a Rishabh Pant special in the last innings of that test match.
12:36And even in this test match, if you have to see, we had starts.
12:40But nobody went on to make a big score, whether it is Virat Kohli, whether it is Ajinkya Rahane,
12:45whether it is Rishabh Pant, whether it is Rohit Sharma, whether it is Shubman Gill.
12:49So, I'm afraid if India has to compete well in England where they have miserably failed in the last three series,
12:54if their batting doesn't come to the party, India will struggle again.
12:58No matter how good your bowling is, but you need some runs on the board to defend.
13:02And today, that's what was the difference.
13:03Had India got that extra 50 runs, who knows what would have happened.
13:07So, the batting has to come to the party.
13:09And mind you, England are not going to dish out flat wickets.
13:12The conditions depend on the overhead skies.
13:15But they are going to keep grass, as India kept during their series where they made spinning wickets.
13:22So, Gautam, over the next six weeks, do you see India just fine-tuning their batting and be ready for the English bowlers?
13:30Remember, they still have Anderson around.
13:34See, fine-tuning can only be done when they reassemble after these three weeks or so.
13:39The BCCI should get moving in trying to organize at least a couple of core games,
13:45those three-day, four-day games which they used to play before.
13:49Now, I'm told that these games are again in these times of pandemic.
13:54Apparently, these games are a bit of a problem.
13:57They are not that easy to organize.
14:00The squad that will be going to Sri Lanka, Rahul Dravid had already asked for a few warm-up games.
14:08And he has been denied.
14:09He said that he will have to play intra-squad games.
14:12So, I don't know whether that is going to be possible.
14:15If possible, they should try to play and look at what other options they have.
14:20See, they only have KL Rahul to fit in somewhere.
14:24Because the other problem that you have is your No. 5 Pujara and No. 5 Rahane.
14:33They are also becoming concern areas.
14:36So, these are some of the things that need to be addressed.
14:41I think only spending time in the middle can be the only solution.
14:45And for that, if they don't get these tour matches,
14:50then I think it has to be left to practice time rather than game time.
14:56More practice time, possibly.
14:58Yeah, that is a huge handicap. The lack of practice matches.
15:03And that was a good explanation of why there can't be tour matches.
15:10Because normally tour matches help fine-tune your technique.
15:14And also, it helps you to find out the batsman in form or the bowler in form.
15:19So, that opportunity is lost here.
15:21Which means we would go back into the England series,
15:25which is pretty much the same squad and with the same issues.
15:29You pointed out Pujara and Rahane as issues.
15:33Pujara, I would think…
15:35Maybe after Australia, he had a very good run. So did Rahane.
15:40And after that, we didn't see much of that.
15:42Anish, do you think those are problem areas? Pujara and Rahane?
15:46Yes, very much. Pujara's last 100 came probably 3 years ago.
15:51That also was in 2018, if I am not wrong.
15:55At the same ground, if I am not wrong.
15:56He scored a 100 at this ground against England.
15:59It's been a long time coming.
16:01And when you talk about Rahane,
16:03bearing that 100 which he scored against Australia in Melbourne
16:06where India bounced back to square the series.
16:08He scored one half century.
16:10He was eluded of a half century in this match.
16:12But concerns are there.
16:14And so, like you were talking about the practice game.
16:18You see, BCCI is rich enough to…
16:20Probably, the earlier thought was that they will be having practice match
16:26with the A team and the B team.
16:27So, I am a bit surprised why this was not organized.
16:32Okay, if you cannot get from the county teams,
16:35you can probably play a proper practice match between your A team and B team.
16:39Because what you do as a practice match
16:42and what you do between yourself, between your 15 guys or 18 guys
16:46is a different thing.
16:47A competitive match definitely makes a difference.
16:50And that gives you enough batting or bowling time.
16:52And in this match, like they mentioned about
16:55why Bumrah was not able to bowl the right length
16:57or Shami not able to bowl the right length
16:59is bowlers also need practice like batsmen.
17:01So, I am afraid India lacked that.
17:04But they have now time against the England series.
17:09Instead of holidaying for 3 weeks, probably they can holiday for 10 days
17:12and do the practice and be ready to take on England
17:15and to show that that was a one-off defeat against New Zealand.
17:19They are still the number one side.
17:20Okay, I will beat them.
17:21New Zealand is now the number one side.
17:23But you need to prove it to the world.
17:25Yes, you are world beaters by beating England in their own den.
17:30The England series is 6 weeks away.
17:33And we will get another opportunity to discuss the prospects of it.
17:37But since it is 6 weeks away, let's look at the series and say
17:42Gautam, what do you think are India's prospects
17:45given the showing in this match?
17:50No, I think India were definitely a bit undercooked here.
17:53Only point is, this 6 weeks is a very unusual gap.
17:56Had it been that, okay, after about in a space of 7-10 days
18:01the series is starting, we could have said that
18:04the team would have galvanized better and do better.
18:07So, it's going to be effectively a fresh start.
18:10I don't think there is any reason for any radical change.
18:15I mean, if they want to play an extra match,
18:17I mean, they can think of somebody with a bit of resilience.
18:22So, that's where Hanuma Bihari comes to mind.
18:25Bihari.
18:26So, he should be your man.
18:28Because, Shyam, the first test match you're going to play in Trenbridge
18:31which is a very typical English atmosphere
18:34and the ball will do a bit.
18:36And as we all know, after that experience England has had
18:40on the Ahmedabad weekend and Chennai weekend,
18:43they're going to pay back in the same way.
18:46They'll be ready for us.
18:51What are your thoughts?
18:53I mean, definitely, I completely agree with Gautam
18:56on the fact that they will be ready for us
18:58with some real seeming wickets.
19:00Real wicked ones, really.
19:02So…
19:03But there is also…
19:05That's a double-edged sword here.
19:08Simply because India has a very good seam attack as well.
19:12Whereas in spinning wickets,
19:14England didn't have as good spinners as India had.
19:18So, do you think the seeming wickets England prepares
19:22will backfire on the money?
19:24Not really.
19:25Last year also they had prepared seeming wickets.
19:27And the difference was the batting.
19:29Where in only Virat Kohli was scoring runs.
19:32Rest all were struggling.
19:34You do not want 30s and 40s.
19:35You want 100s.
19:36And in English conditions,
19:38even if you're set at 60 or 70,
19:40you might get a good ball and you might edge it.
19:42So, the more you know where your off-stun is
19:45or where the ball is pitching
19:47and you let that ball go,
19:48you can score big runs.
19:50And that is what Virat Kohli showed last time.
19:53And we saw that in this test match.
19:55I'm afraid we had not 150 in the whole test match.
20:00If I'm right.
20:01Not one guy scored a 50.
20:03And that proved to be the difference.
20:05Whereas for New Zealand,
20:07you had a 50 from Devin Conway.
20:09You had a 50 from Captain Williamson.
20:13He showed so much of resilience.
20:17He fought hard.
20:18You see the difference between the two teams.
20:20Whereas New Zealand soaked up the pressure when it mattered.
20:23Whenever there was an opportunity,
20:25they grabbed it with both hands.
20:27Whereas India had its moments.
20:28India let it slip away.
20:32Gautam, just to come back to this match.
20:34I mean, I can't seem to get away from it.
20:36Simply because yesterday I said that 143 for 3 to 217
20:43all-out was in the back of my mind.
20:45Why I said that is because we have seen this.
20:48This is a kind of a recurring nightmare for India.
20:53We have seen that happen several times in the past.
20:56One of them, which I'll never forget,
20:58is losing a match to Australia in a session
21:01when Michael Clarke came in and bowled his left-arm spinners.
21:06And Michael Clarke is a part-time bowler.
21:08And we succumbed to them.
21:10And we lost the match badly.
21:12And this also happened with the same venue
21:17where Moeen Ali turned it with 8 wickets in both innings.
21:21So this is a kind of brutality which we see far too often.
21:28Either when the opener is bad, everybody else will pitch in.
21:33When the opener fails, it will be a fall in a heap.
21:36What is the remedy you see here?
21:39You said there are possible slots where Rahane and Pujara can be replaced.
21:44But beyond Hanuma Vihari or KL Rahul,
21:47do you think that will help repair this brutality?
21:54One thing is, it may sound strange if I say so,
21:59but there should be more accountability from the senior players.
22:02I mean, somebody like Rohit Sharma,
22:06who is a white-ball king in the last England World Cup,
22:10five centuries he has scored there.
22:12Obviously, the type of games are like chalk and cheese.
22:15But he should be able to greet his teeth and hang on there.
22:20I mean, no excuse is good enough there.
22:23Shubman Gill, we know that he has the technique,
22:26but he has been groomed.
22:28He has been touted as the next big thing in Indian batting
22:32for about four years now.
22:35So, these two guys.
22:37It's not a question of Pujara and Rahane alone.
22:40Pujara has shown enormous character in overseas conditions.
22:46Same with Rahane.
22:47So, these batsmen need to really take it to the next level.
22:52Because option-wise, you don't have much.
22:55You can use K.N. Rahul at the number three slot,
23:00or maybe you can think about tinkering the opening slot,
23:03but that is no guarantee.
23:05Then again, Hanuma Bihari,
23:07it's a question of if you want to play that extra batsman.
23:11But we have seen that three seamers are often either...
23:16Instead of using spinners just for change of ends
23:19or to hasten getting your new ball,
23:22that fourth seamer is necessary.
23:24Now, whom are you going to get
23:26if you're going to play a complete bowler in Shiraj
23:29and go all out fine?
23:31But I think you will need a bit of support
23:33in your number seven position.
23:36So, you can also think of Shardul Thakur.
23:38He may not be the best bet,
23:40but he's the best available that you have under the circumstances.
23:43Or if you feel that Bhuvaneshwar Kumar can manage the workload,
23:48then by all means, you should take him.
23:51Yeah, in any case,
23:53I don't think India will be playing two spinners.
23:56I mean, at least for the rest of the England tour.
24:00I hope they don't.
24:02Of course, I hope they don't.
24:04Go on making these big statements at the start of the match
24:08that our bowlers are good for all conditions.
24:10Let's accept the fact that has backfired very badly.
24:15And not for the first time.
24:17Yes.
24:21I guess that's all for today.
24:24Unless you have something more to add,
24:26I think we can call it a day.
24:28Well, Shyam, I can only say,
24:30as I mentioned in my introduction,
24:32that the wait for an ICC trophy,
24:34in fact, incidentally, it was eight years ago.
24:36Today, we had won the Champions Trophy,
24:38beating England in their hometown.
24:40And after that,
24:41we probably have lost the Champions Trophy final to Pakistan.
24:44We've lost the semi-final to New Zealand last year in 2019.
24:49Then the T20 World Cup.
24:50We've been coming close,
24:52but I said we have been the bridesmaid.
24:56Right.
24:57But Gautam, don't you agree that we still have a team to do it?
25:02Well, see, that's why the regret,
25:05the level of regret is much more.
25:07I mean, I think Anish must have experienced it.
25:11His heartburns will be more.
25:14I mean, I was down there as a spectator,
25:16but I had gone to one of the few matches
25:18that I watched was India versus Bangladesh.
25:20So I saw Rohit on song there at H-Baston.
25:24So anyway, we do have the team,
25:27but I think we also need to talk about New Zealand a bit.
25:32I mean, with the limited resources that this team has,
25:36the planning had been wonderful.
25:39The only grouse that is often raked up against them
25:42is they're good enough, you know, very good at home,
25:45but don't travel that well.
25:48In England, this time they had the conditions
25:51which was very akin to New Zealand.
25:53But they should also, by the time the next cycle of WTC starts,
25:58they should look at, you know,
26:00being an all-weather team kind of a thing.
26:03I think they need, you know,
26:05at least one to two decent spinners for that.
26:08And, you know, they can gradually try to make a match of it.
26:12So this is it. That's all we can say at this point.
26:16All right.
26:18I think that that wraps up pretty much everything,
26:21and we will look forward to the series against England
26:24with fresh hope and optimism.
26:26So thank you, everyone, for joining us
26:28with this edition for the World Test Cricket Championship,
26:32and we will be back with you for the next series against England.
26:36Till then, please log on to ourgolfnews.com
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