India To Face A New England With New Challenges, Lot To Learn From Mitchell-Blundell Resistance

Last September, India were three hours away from starting the fifth Test against England’s batting line-up in Manchester but that match did not start. England had lost six of their last nine Test matches, their worst for nearly three decades.

India were on course for a series win and will now look to secure their fourth series win against a radically different opposition in England. The current England team has only five players left in the fourth Test defeat at The Oval. India will face England that has a new coach, captain and cricket philosophy.

Everything changed but not Joe Root who is once again scaling the heights of batting perfection but little is known since last year. England have completed one of the most notable Test series in their history – three wins (more than two in their last 17 Tests), three entries in their top 13 most successful fourth innings, and the second-fastest run-at least. Rate (4.54, even with a relatively quiet first Test at Lord’s) by a team in a three-match Test series.

Root has become the second player to average over 90 (minimum five innings) in three different series in England after Australia’s greatest batsman of all time, Don Bradman.

Virat Kohli Is Yet To Return To His Form, Will Be A Decisive Match

Meanwhile, Jonny Bairstow compiled the second-fastest scoring individual series by a player to have faced at least 200 balls, his 394 runs with a 120 strike rate, partly behind Shahid Afridi, who scored against India. He scored 330 runs in 272 balls for Pakistan in 2005-06.

It will be a huge challenge for India, themselves under the new leadership, with minimal preparation and potentially without both Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, openers whose discipline and restraint – qualities that do contrary to some rumours, both legal and are often valuable.

If England offered India a ‘blueprint’ for playing Test cricket, they had experimented with different blueprints over the past 18 months. Although England’s batting may have changed, it has become easier to score runs in England. No, the ball is swinging that much, no seam. Also runs can be scored against England’s mixed bowling order and this was introduced by Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundle.

His stand averaged 121 runs in 39 overs, and provided the right object lesson in how to bat against an England attack, an example his team-mates did not try to understand.

Except the Mitchell-Blundell resistance, New Zealand lost one wicket every 39 balls. India has a great mix of experience and talent. Significantly, England has changed the way they play and India will take it as a big challenge.