After being whitewashed 0-5 by Australia in the 2013-14 Ashes in Australia, England lost the Test series to Sri Lanka 0-1 in England on Tuesday.
England was unlucky not to win the first Test at Lord’s. Sri Lanka, needing 390 to win, was 9 for 201 at stumps on the final day. If only captain Alastair Cook had declared half an hour before stumps on the fourth day!
In the second Test at Leeds, Sri Lanka won the cliff-hanging Test and the series with one ball to spare.
Individually England did well in the series, with Joe Root hitting an unbeaten 200 and Gary Ballance 104 in the first Test, while the Sydney-born Sam Robson and the bearded Moeen Ali both also scored centuries in the second Test.
In bowling, James Anderson took most wickets from both sides (12 at 21.50) and Stuart Broad a hat-trick, the second in his Test career.
However, the batting form of skipper Cook is a big worry. In Australia he had managed only 246 runs in five Tests at a poor average of 24.60. He fared even worse against Sri Lanka; 78 runs in two Tests at 19.50.
Is this only a passing phase for the 29-year-old, who has scored 8125 runs at 45.90 in 102 Tests?
England’s poor form since November 2013 must be heartening for India, who will play England in five Tests, three ODIs and one Twenty20 international from the ninth of July to the seventh of September.
How will India go in England? Will they wipe the humiliating memory of 2011 when they lost 0-4 by big margins?
Before I answer this, let us do some time-travelling from 2011 until now. What a roller-coaster ride it has been for MS Dhoni’s men.
• Won the World Cup in Mumbai in April 2011, beating the strong Sri Lankans in the final.
• Unconvincingly beat the West Indies 1-0 with two drawn Tests in West Indies, June – July 2011.
• Ranked no. 1 in Test cricket, India was whitewashed 0-4 by England in England, July – August 2011.
• Defeated West Indies 2-0 in India, November 2011.
• Whitewashed 0-4 by Australia in Australia, December 2011 – January 2012.
• Beat New Zealand 2-0 in India, August – September 2012.
• Beaten by England 1-2 with one Test drawn in India, November – December 2012.
• Whitewashed Australia 4-0 in India, February – March 2013.
• Defeated West Indies 2-0 in India, November 2013.
The series was made memorable by Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell in the Mumbai Test; his 200th Test in which he scored 74 and made an inspiring speech.
• Beaten by South Africa 0-1 with one Test drawn in South Africa, December 2013.
• Beaten by New Zealand 0-1 with one Test drawn, February 2014.
The trend is familiar. India wins Tests played at home and loses Tests played overseas. The two exceptions in the last three years were India beating West Indies in West Indies in June–July 2011 and England beating India in India 2-1 in November–December 2012.
Of the 107 Tests played between England and India from 1932 until now, England has won 40, lost 20 with 47 drawn. 52 Tests have been played in England, the home team winning 27 and losing 5, with 20 drawn. Of 55 played in India, India leads 15-13 with 27 drawn.
The last time India won a Test series in England was in 2007 under Rahul Dravid, going 1-0 with two Tests drawn.
Dhoni is entrenched as India’s captain but will Cook retain his captaincy? If not Cook, who else?
While a premature retirement isn’t the solution, he or England want, he may be forced into it if he can’t maintain a long run of matches.
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