The third Test between India and England at the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad etched its name into history for all the wrong reasons. Lasting less than two days, it became the seventh shortest completed Test match ever and the first since 1935 to conclude so swiftly. With 30 wickets tumbling for just 287 runs across 140 overs, it was a spectacle that left purists questioning the state of the game.
Yet, while the pitch—a veritable Bunsen burner—has been
crucified in the aftermath, a deeper narrative emerges. The Ahmedabad Test was
not just about the surface; it was a sobering indictment of the technical
deficiencies and mental frailties of modern batsmanship.
The Numbers Tell a
Tale of Collapse
The match aggregate of 387 runs is the lowest in a completed
Test match in Asia, breaking the previous record of 422 runs in the 2002
Sharjah Test between Pakistan and Australia. It is also the lowest in the last
74 years of Test cricket. England’s aggregate of 193 runs across both innings
marked the first time a team had been bowled out twice in a Test in India for
fewer than 200 runs.
But while the numbers paint a grim picture, the dismissals
reveal a deeper malaise. A lack of application, poor shot selection, and
fundamental technical flaws turned the Ahmedabad pitch into a graveyard for
batsmen.
England’s First Innings:
A Catalogue of Errors
Dom Sibley’s dismissal set the tone. Caught on the crease,
he poked unnecessarily at an Ishant Sharma delivery that demanded restraint.
Jonny Bairstow, returning to the side, was undone not by the turn but by Axar
Patel’s straighter delivery—his defence and footwork were found wanting.
Joe Root and Zak Crawley, England’s most accomplished batsmen
in the innings, grafted briefly before succumbing to fuller deliveries from
Ashwin and Patel. Both dismissals stemmed from poor judgment rather than
devilish spin. Root, in particular, played back when the situation demanded a
forward stride, a misstep uncharacteristic of his class.
Crawley, who had looked assured, inexplicably played for
turn against a straighter delivery, replicating Bairstow’s mistake. Ollie
Pope’s dismissal, bowled playing down the wrong line, and Ben Stokes’ failure
to move his feet against Patel, further exemplified the technical
shortcomings.
These were not dismissals born of unplayable deliveries or
vicious spin. They were the product of lapses in focus, poor judgment, and an
unwillingness to adapt.
India’s Response: A
Mirror of Mediocrity
When India came out to bat, their approach mirrored
England’s lack of application. Jack Leach and Joe Root exploited the
conditions, but it was India’s poor shot selection that compounded their
woes.
Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, masters against spin,
inexplicably opted for horizontal bat shots against deliveries that demanded a
straight bat. Rohit Sharma, India’s most assured batsman in the series, threw
away his wicket with an ill-advised slog sweep. Panic set in as the
lower-middle order capitulated to Root’s canny off-spin, which yielded him a
career-best 5 for 8.
Again, the pitch was not the villain. The Indian innings was
undone by a combination of poor decision-making and unnecessary
aggression.
England’s Second
Innings: Lessons Unlearned
If England’s first innings was a study in poor technique,
their second innings was a masterclass in self-destruction. Zak Crawley, facing
the first ball, inexplicably played back to a delivery from Patel that demanded
a forward press. Jonny Bairstow, already on a pair, attempted a sweep off his
first ball—a reckless choice that nearly cost him his wicket. Given a reprieve
by DRS, he squandered it moments later, leaving a gaping hole between bat and
pad against another straighter one.
Dom Sibley’s attempt at a wild swipe across the line against
Ashwin epitomized England’s lack of composure. Ben Stokes, seemingly settled,
misread a skidding delivery from Ashwin, falling for the 11th time to the
off-spinner. Even Root, England’s best batsman, played for turn against
deliveries that went straight, a cardinal sin on such a surface.
England were skittled for 81—their second-lowest Test total
against India.
The Verdict:
Technique Over Turf
The Ahmedabad pitch has faced its share of criticism, but it
cannot shoulder the entire blame. The dismissals, particularly those of
England’s top order, reveal a lack of basic batting fundamentals. CricViz noted
that 35% of boundaries against spin in this Test were scored in the
"V," highlighting the rewards of straight-bat play and decisive
footwork.
Rohit Sharma demonstrated this in the second Test, but
neither side adhered to these principles in Ahmedabad. England’s batsmen played
with angled bats and tentative footwork, while India’s batsmen succumbed to panic
and poor shot selection.
This Test was a reminder that, while conditions may vary,
the fundamentals of Test batting remain unchanged. Appropriate use of the feet,
trusting the defence, and occupying the crease are non-negotiable on challenging
surfaces.
In the end, the Ahmedabad Test was not just a trial of
technique and temperament but a reflection of the erosion of classical batting
skills in the modern game. It was a sobering reminder that Test cricket, for
all its evolution, still demands the basics. Those who master them thrive,
while those who neglect them perish.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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