A clear decline in India's batting standards

[rollingstoned]

Decline in India's batting standards gives sleepless nights

 

Once again, India missed out on the chance to bat Englandout of the game after getting 255 all out in the second innings of the Visakhapatnam Test.

 

It’s a sign of the surreal times we live in that even 398 doesn’t feel tall enough as a fourth innings target. And for good reason.

 

India's captain Rohit Sharma gestures as he walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal during Day 3.(AFP)

But if you put England’s maverick brand of cricket on the backburner and focus solely on India’s batting, the decline can’t go unnoticed. Starts aren’t being converted, hundreds haven’t been consolidated and big partnerships haven’t been raised enough. In four innings against England, India have crossed 400 once with the highest partnership so far being only 90 between Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer. And though India have more hundreds than England, Gill knows Sunday’s effort was far from his best.

 

Moreover, it came on a day India failed to bat England out of the game when they had the opportunity. Hyderabad felt like a chance missed when India couldn’t bat once after dismissing England for 236. And now here, when all they had to do was see out James Anderson and then pick apart an inexperienced spin attack, India once again floundered to be dismissed for 255 on a pitch with no demons in it. This when they had three days to ensure Hyderabad’s mistake wasn’t repeated.

 

The root of this problem seems to be India’s inability to score big at the start. Between 2014 and 2019, India had scored six 600-plus totals in the first and second innings at home. In the last five years, that has gone down to just one. This, like on Sunday, is bound to affect India’s attitude the second time they come out.

Anderson too believes India's thinking was muddled. “I think the nerves were there to see today, the way they batted; I think they didn’t know how many was enough,” he said after the close of play on Day 3. “They were quite cautious, even when they had a big lead.”

The only reason India seemed to be on guard despite sitting on a 143-run first innings lead was probably they aren’t sure about their Test batting potential. That’s not unexpected when Virat Kohli and KL Rahul aren’t available. But by allowing that to mess with the batting philosophy, India have shown they can be manipulated.

Like how they took to reverse sweeps after England schooled their spinners at Hyderabad. So skilled is the classically raised Indian batter at scoring off traditional shots that sweeps never felt necessary. Yet Gill walked into a well-laid trap on Sunday, gifting his wicket when he should have focused on consolidating after his hundred like Yashasvi Jaiswal did in the first innings.

He admitted that. “I saw the point fielder go there and thought on that wicket it was a percentage shot but maybe not in that situation when there were five-six overs to tea,” said Gill. “Maybe I should've just played those overs and got the runs after tea.”

Rohit Sharma is another case in point. Notwithstanding the exhilarating dismissal effected by Anderson on Sunday, Sharma is trying too hard to play batting mentor in the absence of Kohli and Rahul when clearly the attacking role suits him much better. It paid huge dividends in the World Cup, and even in this format India can do with a few quick starts if they aim to give England a run for their money. The bigger issue is how India haven’t been able to convince themselves the benefit of batting as long as possible and keeping England on tenterhooks. Instead, they seemed committed to finding a target for England, making it easier for them to pick a fight.

“The chat last night from the coach was that if they get 600, we were going to go for it,” said Anderson. “It makes it very clear to everyone that we will try to do it tomorrow. I know there are 180 overs left in the game, but we will try to do it in 60 or 70. That’s the way we play.”

Fair enough. But had India played their way, England wouldn’t have got to this position to express themselves. What could have been turned into a slow defeat is now simmering with the possibility of an entertaining chase.

Edited February 5 by rollingstoned

[The Realist]

Batting has been poor for at least half a decade. First you had Kohli, Rahane & Pujara stinking it out collectively with circa 3 years of literally doing nothing.

 

Now you have Sharma, Iyer, Gill and the WK position contributing very little. Can sort of hide it/get away with it in a 3 team sport but won't win any big trophies with such consistent poor returns.  

[goose]

it's a race to the bottom. there's little incentive to do better when nobody else is

[sensible-indian]

Its not a decline.

 

It's fallen off the cliff.

[Gollum]

In all formats. 

[Suhaan]

Meekism in every facet of game

Coach Thanos wants to help the masses by annihilating cricket in India

[Gollum]

12 minutes ago, Suhaan said:

Meekism in every facet of game

Coach Thanos wants to help the masses by annihilating cricket in India

Modi master plan to make India superpower by 2050!!!!!

[Vijy]

On 2/5/2024 at 9:41 AM, Suhaan said:

Meekism in every facet of game

Coach Thanos wants to help the masses by annihilating cricket in India

this way, we can perhaps move on to other sports that matter: athletics, hockey, etc

[Soldier]

28 minutes ago, Vijy said:

this way, we can perhaps move on to other sports that matter: athletics, hockey, etc

Wrestling too. Lot of talent there. We are getting there. Around top 6 ish. We just need better facilities 

[Chaos]

I rather have rohit and jaiswal open in last 20+ yrs i have watched. Only player i would replace rohit would be sehwag in last 30+ yrs. Snail gavaskar after that odi innings he played should be chappal slapped.

[Vijy]

10 minutes ago, Soldier said:

Wrestling too. Lot of talent there. We are getting there. Around top 6 ish. We just need better facilities 

yep, that too

[Soldier]

34 minutes ago, Vijy said:

yep, that too

Already won in javelin throw which is one of the toughest athletic event in temrs of power based sports. Pure strength and power event. 

 

We do well in shot put as well from memory. 

 

Wonder why we don't try and poach these javelin throwers. Would easily translate to cricket to be honest.

 

 

[Frustrated]

Some of our young batters are very funny and innovative compared to the prev.gen stars.   Look at Jaiswal.  Did all the hard work to get to his century only to get himself injured while celebrating.  (This at a time when we are already short of batsmen.  No ashwin.  Patidar is a nightwatchman). 1st Indian batter in test history to retire.hurt due to excessive celebration.   

[Vijy]

Just now, Frustrated said:

Some of our young batters are very funny and innovative compared to the prev.gen stars.   Look at Jaiswal.  Did all the hard work to get to his century only to get himself injured while celebrating.  (This at a time when we are already short of batsmen.  No ashwin.  Patidar is a nightwatchman). 1st Indian batter in test history to retire.hurt due to excessive celebration.   

jaiswal needs to cut down on this childishness. he is going to score a fair number of 100s in his career (hopefully), so he needs to reign in his celebrations, otherwise he will keep retiring out all the time

[Trichromatic]

22 minutes ago, Frustrated said:

Some of our young batters are very funny and innovative compared to the prev.gen stars.   Look at Jaiswal.  Did all the hard work to get to his century only to get himself injured while celebrating.  (This at a time when we are already short of batsmen.  No ashwin.  Patidar is a nightwatchman). 1st Indian batter in test history to retire.hurt due to excessive celebration.   

 

Indian batsmen have scored 600+ in a series 8 times in test history. Jaiswal might become 9th one.

[Frustrated]

20 minutes ago, Vijy said:

jaiswal needs to cut down on this childishness. he is going to score a fair number of 100s in his career (hopefully), so he needs to reign in his celebrations, otherwise he will keep retiring out all the time

It's a bitter truth.  Kohli at the age of 35 has much better fitness compared to most of our upcoming young batters who are barely 20.  It's a lesson for Jaiswal.  Never over-celebrate while your team is playing a test with only 9 players.  One injury could potentially turn the game in opponent's favour. 

[Vijy]

49 minutes ago, Frustrated said:

It's a bitter truth.  Kohli at the age of 35 has much better fitness compared to most of our upcoming young batters who are barely 20.  It's a lesson for Jaiswal.  Never over-celebrate while your team is playing a test with only 9 players.  One injury could potentially turn the game in opponent's favour. 

if we lose this match in some way, two main culprits will be: (1) jadeja's selfishness (running out sarfaraz on debut), and (2) jaiswal's selfishness (over celebrating his 100)

[RajBan]

This was rampant in 80s till mid 90s because of quota and selective bias that prevailed. This has come back again in last 12 years(Dhoni 2012 onwards when he became a stooge of Srini camp) where one gets chance after chance in the name of talent ahead of players who deserved it more based on performance and mental grit. 

 

Consequently today, players like Iyer, KL, to an extent Rohit they don't have the mentality to be a Test batsman as they have been given things in a plate. When the going gets tough, they rarely will show the mental fortitude to stick around barring few innings here and there. (Hope Gill does not get lost in that way because he has been really talented). Unfortunately given the mafia mentality those rare success are enough to give them 20 more innings ahead of players who put the hard toil in domestics. No wonder Kisaan has the audacity to completely ignore Ranji as he knows that his IPL contract will give him backdoor entry to the Indian team just like some of his peers . Players like Sarfaraz, Easwaran , Siraj (he finally got his due in last 2-3 years) has to prove themselves more than Bharat, Iyer , Shardul because they don't have a lobby or corporate sponsors backing them.

[Suhaan]

4 hours ago, Vijy said:

this way, we can perhaps move on to other sports that matter: athletics, hockey, etc

[express bowling]

Pant and Jaiswal are both really good in test matches. 

 

Hope Pant becomes the batsman that he once was pre-injury.

 

Want to see them play test matches together and in top form.