'Test cricket is very much alive and well': My takes from the first England-India Test

The first Test promised a lot heading into the final day but sadly the British weather had the final say, ruining what could have been a terrific finish.

Both teams could be disappointed with the result, but happy with the positions they found themselves in, heading into that last day. A draw was probably a fair result and there were plenty of takes from this game.

It was great to see crowds back. Every cricket nation’s crowds are quite distinctive and those at this game were typically English. Lots of people who were rapt to be there, lots of costumes (how do they get to and from the ground on public transport) and lots of noise added enormously to the game.

It certainly confirms my belief that Test cricket is very much alive and well when venues are sold out for the first four days of a game.

What a good pitch. The conditions made this more of a bowler’s match rather than a batsman’s match, but the pitch still allowed plenty of terrific cricket shots to be played. Batsmen had to be patient and play within themselves, which is what both Joe Root and KL Rahul did and both were rewarded.

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

This was an old fashioned wicket, where the first session was great for bowlers, then the pitch settled, but there was still enough to keep the bowlers interested, even on the afternoon of the fourth day.

Australian curators, please take note.

England have some issues. There’s no doubt Joe Root played two excellent knocks and rightly won the man of the match for them, but both innings were made to look all the more impressive because the other England players failed to impress.

I’ve no idea what England’s batting plans are, but surely they can’t include having their number four batsman at the crease with less than 45 runs on the board, two wickets down and the new ball barely 20 overs old?

Dom Sibley showed he can stay there, but 46 runs off 203 deliveries won’t get it done, nor will the underwhelming contributions from his batting partner, or Zak Crawley.

They need these guys to show a lot more intent, not by playing expansive shots, but by working the ball for singles and twos. They should leave the hitting to the lower order who are ill equipped to bat defensively.

India have some issues, too.

(Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)

Much is made about the India batting but they rely enormously on two or three guys. Rohit Sharma and Rahul batted very sensibly for the most part, Cheteshwar Pujara started to show he had not forgotten how to play some attacking shots, but Virat Kohli badly needs a decent score and Ajinkya Rahane needs to settle.

I wonder if Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja should switch positions in the order? Jadeja looked very good in India’s first innings and played the sort of innings I’d expect from a number five or six. Pant on the other hand played as if he was in a T20 or ODI match and his dismissal with that bunt to short cover was not good watching.

Another small issue for India is reducing the number of no-balls they bowl. I find it amusing that the bowlers with the shortest run-ups, Jasprit Bumrah and Jadeja, bowled 12 no-balls between them.

They would also do well to block the run-scoring area at third man, not for the cut shot, but for the glide off the outside edge. I’m guessing England scored at least 70 or 80 runs through there over the course of both innings.

England’s positives – apart from Root – were that their bowlers were very good, once they got their line right.

It was terrific to see Ollie Robinson in the team and doing well with both bat and ball. I wasn’t sure he’d be the right fit for Australia but the more I watch him, the more I think he could be a handful on most surfaces, but particularly Perth and Brisbane.

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

In terms of Indian positives, their bowling too was very good with Bumrah leading the way with match figures of 9-110. The impressive part was the length they bowled, which is very different from what they’d be used to bowling in India.

Another positive was Rishabh Pant, not with the bat but with the gloves. The catch he took to dismiss Dom Sibley, off the inside edge, was world-class.

England’s things to work on include focus in the field, especially in the slips. It has to be tough to move into Test cricket mode when it comes to fielding, especially for players who have had zero red-ball cricket for a month, but somehow they need to concentrate for long periods and take their chances.

On the selection front, the only change they might consider is Ollie Pope for Dan Lawrence, who is not having a great time of it at present.

India’s things to work on are that they played pretty well overall and this is now a very experienced Test squad, which is playing well as a team. They’ll be willing the skipper to get a big score at Lord’s and hoping the rest of the top order can make runs.

They might want to change the batting order as previously suggested, but they have to resist the temptation to bring in Ravi Ashwin or make any changes to the fast attack. The bowlers have shown they’re perfectly capable of taking England’s 20 wickets, so leave them for another Test at least.

The next match at Lord’s on Thursday has to be compulsory viewing if you enjoy Test cricket. Hopefully we have a repeat of this match, with lots of good cricket but without the bad weather.