Rumbled in Ranchi
The series slipped through England’s fingers as India took an unassailable 3–1 lead- with English bowlers being let down by their batters
India’s five-wicket win over England sealed the series for the hosts with one game to spare. This is the first series defeat of the McCullum/ Stokes era, and also the first time that this regime has overseen three consecutive Test match defeats.
The match in Ranchi ebbed and flowed, with England recovering well to post over 350 in their first innings. There were some brave displays, but Joe Root’s 122 not out after over six hours at the crease was the main reason England were able to set what looked like a good total on a tough pitch.
Another bright spark for England was the superb display with the ball from Shoaib Bashir. Eight wickets and 70 over bowled, including 44 in the first innings, are stats that are a testament to both the stamina and skill of the spinner. He has a bright future in the Test setup, and the good form of him, Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley is going to give the English selectors a good headache for the home series against Sri Lanka and West Indies.
Ollie Robinson’s half-century on his return to the Test line-up was a crucial supporting knock to Root and his team, but questions over his bowling and a costly catch in the second innings threaten to overshadow this. An argument can be made that Robinson is at a bit of a crossroads in his international career, as there is a player there but at the same time, there are plenty of simply better fast bowlers on the horizon. The summer will be an important one for him and his quick bowling counterparts- especially if stalwart Jimmy Anderson does finally decide to hang up his boots.
India have been a near-unstoppable force since the start of the second test and although they have been forced into several changes, their old guard have batted and bowled them through. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin feasted on some questionable English batting and a pitch that welcomed bowlers with open arms. The big question before the series got underway was ‘Could England take advantage of no Virat Kohli?’ and unfortunately- they have not been able to. This is a testament to the quality of India’s squad and the players who have stepped up to the mark when the chance was handed to them.
The new player who took to Test cricket like a duck to water in Ranchi was Akash Deep. His blistering start to the first innings saw him remove Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in consecutive deliveries and then dismiss in-form Zak Crawley. He sent three shell-shocked English batters for an early bath and announced himself in some style to the international stage.
With one match remaining, it feels as though England have more than just pride on the line. Few teams have won two matches in India in recent times, and reducing the deficit would go a long way to showing England’s progression in Test cricket can keep moving despite some poor showings on this tour.
