A Shocking Finish

Last week I had signed of predicting another draw in the ongoing test series between England and India . How wrong was I . Not only did India post another 120 runs on board , they also bundled the mighty England for 120 at their own home ground . The contrast between England’s first innings at bat and the second were stark , especially if one checks the score.

If the second innings was Root’s batting masterclass , the fourth and final innings was all Siraj and Bumrah’s show . While the latter took apart the front line of the English batting attack , Siraj closed the rest beautifully , taking a four wicket haul to close the game . He stepped up when India needed a victory , showing that we are no longer a spin favoured nation who prefer dry pitches . We have a pace battery strong enough to win on international grounds , and emerging youngsters to continue that legacy .

But this should not overshadow what was arguably as important to the the game , the 89 run stand between Shami and Bumrah for the 9th wicket ( unbeaten ) was not only a record , but also a game changer . Expecting a paltry target to chase and a lot of balls remaining in the day , the England squad did not anticipate the dogged resistance shown by the two ‘ batsmen’ . They played fabulously , and set up a target which proved to be too big for England to chase . This game was the quintessential outing of a new Indian team , forged by Virat Kohli’s fiery spirit and drive to win .

This should array the many doubters and critics ( at least for now ) who questioned his legitimacy as captain , for this augurs a favourable view of him and team. The win here gives India the edge they needed for the rest of the series . They have proven that they can win , and England will now have to play on the backfoot , the home advantage all but nulled . A form as strong as this will mostly translate into the limited series , further which will transition into the T 20 World Cup , probably the final chance for Kohli to finally lift a world cup as captain .

The runs by the tail enders ( the last few batsmen in the batting order ) were important , not only for this game , but for the future as well . As irritating and long winded the tail end is to get out , the more the opposition is under pressure . Even with a few runs added by every bowler while batting can add up to a total far away from the reach of the opponents . It was a field in which the Indian team lacked , which has been filled by Shami and Bumrah’s stand . Over all I feel this win is not only a point in this series , but also a place from where the ball starts rolling , i.e. a momentum of this Indian team is built . I believe if this is performance is consistent , Kohli and his team will be ones to write history .