The English bowling unit knows how to get this line-up out in these conditions like the back of their hand.
If a team gets 78 all out and then repeats it with 63 for 8, some changes must be made to the batting unit.
Unless the Indian team makes changes, England will do this repeatedly to the Indian batting unit. This series is increasingly looking like going the same way as 2014 series if India does not change things up in batting composition and mindset.
What are the changes that the Indian team might make for the fourth Test?
Batting
If we take an inventory of batters who have looked reasonably comfortable in these conditions, they will be KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. Cheteshwar Pujara found some form in the last innings of the Headingley Test and looked confident until he made the fatal decision to leave an incoming delivery.
So, these four will need to be retained in the top six. Jadeja can no longer be allowed to start his innings with the tail-enders for company. The team should use his excellent form for more runs. Jadeja should be allowed to bat in the top five.
Now comes the problem area; Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant.
Could Virat Kohli’s captaincy be coming under pressure? (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)
Even though Kohli scored a fifty in the second innings, he barely looked in control. He was making the same mistakes outside the off stump and was lucky to have not lost his wicket earlier.
Ajinkya Rahane and Pant have shown significant weakness outside the off stump. If one went by form and shape at the crease, the selectors must drop all these three players to fix the rut. I guess dropping the captain never happens in India, so Virat might hold his spot.
The time has come to give Surya Kumar Yadav or Hanuma Vihari a chance in the middle order. Wridhiman Saha should replace Pant to see what he can do better than Pant with the bat. My line-up will have Rohit, Rahul, Pujara, Jadeja, Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, and Saha as my seven batsmen.
However, I think the team management will play Vihari rather than Yadav. If not, they might also look to bring in Mayank Agrawal at the top and move Rahul to Rahane’s spot to bolster the middle order.
Bowling
Ishant Sharma did not look energetic throughout the two days in Headingley. He seemed similarly unfit during the first innings of the Lord’s Test until he got two wickets towards the end of that innings.
Ishant needs to be rested for the fourth Test at The Oval and replaced by Ravichandran Ashwin. Aswhin’s record against left-handed batsmen should help the team against an English batting unit that contains four left-handers.
Ashwin will add some batting ability to the lower order as well. With the kind of form he has shown in the past many months, he should play the remainder of the series.
Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj should hold their places in the XI.
My Indian XI for the fourth Test
Rohit, Rahul, Pujara, Jadeja, Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Saha, Ashwin, Shami, Bumrah and Siraj.
As I look at the current state of the series, I will bet on England to win the series 2-1 or 3-1. Their batting unit has found some form to play along with Joe Root.
The bowling unit is in fantastic shape for these conditions, and they have the wood on the Indian batting unit, as it were. So, overall, the English team look a lot more solid than the Indian team. To put it bluntly, the Indian team is a bit like the planet Jupiter, which looks big but is filled chiefly with gas.
RAdelaide
Roar Rookie
:laughing: I would love him to not be in the team, the way he is batting like a brainless fart! That being said, I think a character like Pant needs a longer rope and if he is given that extra responsibility, without worrying about the scoreboard, I think that might be just what he needs.
Ian
Roar Rookie
That loud cheering sound you hear is the English bowling unit on reading your suggestion that Pant bat at number 4.I'd have him at number 8! If you're right,I'd strongly suggest to whoever's batting at 5 that he be ready as the way Pant's going,he won't have to wait long to have a bat.
RAdelaide
Roar Rookie
I think England channelled the aggression much better in this test match and bowled beautifully. If they are that relentless, its hard to see how India will bounce back. I would have given Pujara a breather, but his last innings, might give him a few more tests now. If Pant is indeed going to be in the team, I would want him to come at 2 down after Pujara, then followed by Kohli and Rahane/Vihari, just to break up the big 3. Bowlers could be Jadeja/Ashwin, Thakur, Siraj, Bumrah, Shami/Ishant.
Peter Farrar
Roar Pro
It certainly sets up an absorbing next test. India displayed such ability to come back from their test loss in Australia to then win the series. Will India be able to dig deep again? England too made their way back from a series loss to New Zealand and prior test loss to India. Don't think anyone will be saying test match cricket is dying for awhile yet.
Paul
Roar Guru
I've got a piece that's on the website today where I suggested Butler needed to be dropped. As you say, fortuitous timing. Presumably that means Pope comes back, Bairstow drops to 6, but do they keep Sam Curran in the team? I'm sketchy on what the Oval pitches this season are like, but they've been pretty batting friendly in recent years. If so, I guess they'll consider Woakes instead of Curran, more for his batting, which would give them some useful coverage in the tail.
Ian
Roar Rookie
I don't wish to sound like Nostradamus Paul but it's just been announced that Buttler's out and Bairstow will be keeping wicket for the next 2 tests and almost certainly the Ashes.The (Michael Vaughan Ashes winner 2005) Yorkshire mafia are well and truly in control.Ray Illingworth must be looking on in complete admiration!
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
43, 36, 27 and 16 were his scores in the first two tests of that 1996-97 home summer against the West Indies, still at full fast bowling strength, that should have read in final paragraph … I’m loathe to edit it because for some unknown reason it destroys the paragraphing which is important for such a long comment.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Taylor’s horror form slump going for 19 test innings without a 50 is a myth. He did go 19 test innings without a 50, but his slump only lasted 11 innings, from December 1996 until June 1997. In the first test against the Lankans in Perth in late 1995 he made 96. In the boxing day test, he missed out in the first innings – as openers are always susceptible to do against the new ball – before being unbeaten on 25 at better than a run a ball when a 10 wicket victory was achieved. Then in the 3rd test to finish the international summer he got starts in both innings, 21 and 10, without going on with it, while his opening partner Slater made 0 and 15. Either side of that aforementioned 2nd test, the triangular one day series was played and Taylor made some excellent 50s, 60s, 70s and even a 90, all at good scoring rates, and most in winning causes. Then in the world cup that followed the aforementioned 3rd test, he was Australia’s 2nd best batsmen in the tournament, making half centuries, including a century opening stand with new partner Mark Waugh in the biggest match of the preliminaries against India, which was won, and top scored with 74 off 83 in the final which was lost. Later in 1996, he scored his maiden, and ultimately only, one day ton in a triangular series in India and then in the one off test there made 27 and 37, second top scoring in both innings. In the home summer of 1996-97, Taylor’s scores were 43, 36, 27 and 16 – nothing special numerically, but in those four innings he was involved in three opening stands of 50 plus with new partner and rookie Matthew Elliott, as well as a century partnership for 2nd wicket with Ricky Ponting after the early wicket on the opening morning of the test series of aforementioned debutante Elliott for a duck. The form slump began in the triangular one day series, played each side of the 3rd test in which Taylor missed out in both innings, a game Australia lost.
Tsat
Roar Guru
I agree..quite rationally both Pujara and Rahane should make way..India wont do it..from the presser, it seems like even Rahane will not go..so Kohli is expecting to do the same things and get different results
Gonzo99
Roar Rookie
It’s not 50 test innings, it’s 50 international innings across all formats.
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
When it rains, it pours. There are reports suggesting Jaddu might be injured. :angry:
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
Yet Australia easily thrashed New Zealand in New Zealand and almost did same to England in England if it was not for Goddess of Luck herself came down to Earth to save England in that series.
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
I am afraid you are right. :unhappy:
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
I’d agree that Kohli has been playing the ball a bit wide at times but I’d put the problem in this Test down to a much superior seam bowling effort by England. They put a lot more pressure on the batsmen and got a lot of movement off the seam and through the air. There were a couple of spells with lots of close to unplayable balls. I don’t think the England batsmen would have done much better in the same situation, including Root. There isn’t a lot you can do when the ball comes at you towards middle off and seams away to the keeper, except reduce risk which some of the Indians have been good at. So I wouldn’t panic. Maybe someone instead of Rahane. Don’t think Jadeja is the answer in the middle order. Getting out to a 125km Yorker from Curran wasn’t encouraging. Ashwin has to come in.
Paul
Roar Guru
"When you say Vihari is a like for like, are you suggesting that he has the same problems as Rahane?" I see a lot of Rahane in Vihari and vice versa. I wonder if either are top notch Test class? I don't doubt they both have had their moments but one is averaging 40 and not in great form and the other is averaging 32 and I don't think is much liked by either captain or coach. I also take your point about leaving out Pujara and Rahane at the same time, but India have 4 batsmen in ordinary form and I don't know that dropping just one is going to make a huge difference to te lineup.
Arj
Roar Rookie
Two spinners can work cause Jadeja essentially plays as a batsman, and I truly believe Ashwin can be quite effective in the remaining matches. Yes I know Pujara has problems, but I think initially India should drop one of Pujara/Rahane and not both. I don't like judging a player off one innings, especially one that was ultimately irrelevant, but Pujara did start to look very fluent again in that 91. I saw a stat saying Rahane has averaged 33.77 since November 2016 - that's 48 tests or roughly 2/3 of his career. He is the only Indian batsman ever to average below 35 across a 48 test stretch of his career, therefore Rahane has to be the first to go. When you say Vihari is a like for like, are you suggesting that he has the same problems as Rahane? Not really sure what your point is there.
Paul
Roar Guru
so you'd play two spinners? I guess that might work at The Oval. Isn't Vihari a like for like with Rahane? And Pujara staying in?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
India has real issues in England and New Zealand. With some exceptions where the openers have shut up shot and seen off the first 15-20 overs, India’s top six has collapsed repeatedly against the new ball. Over the last 3 years India has lost 8 of 11 Tests in both England and New Zealand. They’ve won 16 of 21 in all other venues - 10 home and 11 away.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Yeah that was weird to watch.
Arj
Roar Rookie
India definitely needs to make some changes, but I disagree a little with your decisions. To be honest I'd take an out of form Pant over Saha every day of the week. Pant's keeping has now improved and Saha only really bats ok in Asian conditions, where he can dig in. In test matches outside of Asia and the West Indies, he averages 13.2 (yes it's a small sample size but still). Hanuma Vihari would be the correct decision over SKY. Yes he's struggled in recent times, but his latest test innings heroics means he deserves to be the next choice. I know Indian fans are excited by a new player like Yadav, but I don't think it should be risked. My XI would be: Rohit, Rahul, Pujara, Kohli, Vihari, Jadeja, Pant, Ashwin, Shami, Siraj, Bumrah.