Essex vs India, Practice Match: Hits and Flops from the game

The Indian teams’ focus now will be completely on the longest format of the game. They will be playing England in a 5-match Test series which begins with the Birmingham Test on 1 August 2018. After having fared decently well in the limited-overs formats, the Indian team will definitely want to do well in the Tests as well. Both the previous two tours have seen the side bag some huge embarrassments and they will want to set it right this time around.

However, it won’t be an easy task playing on the green pitches with the Dukes ball. Furthermore, there is rain looming around at this point in time which should assist the swing bowlers better. Hence, to adjust to these conditions better, India played Essex in a 3-day practice match. The game ended up in a draw with the Indian players getting to spend some good time in the middle. On that note, here are the hits and flops for the Indian team from this game.

Hits:

1. Murali Vijay and KL Rahul – The possible opening pair

Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan have been India’s trusted openers for some time now. However, we could expect this scenario to change for the First Test against England. Shikhar Dhawan hasn’t had a great time with the bat. Hence, we could expect KL Rahul to come into the XI to open the innings along with Murali Vijay.

Vijay batted in the first innings of the game and scored a half-century. While KL Rahul scored 58 runs in the first innings batting down the order, he remained unbeaten on 36 opening the innings in the second innings. A sorted opening pair going into a tough series like this is crucial and India have probably got one box ticked over here.

2. Virat Kohli doing well with the bat in England

Virat Kohli has had a torrid time in the longest format of the game when he toured England the last time. This modern-day legend only managed to score 134 runs in 10 innings at an average of 13.40. He was seen particularly struggle against the ball swinging away which was bowled in the 5th stump corridor.

However, a lot of changed since then and Virat has made several amendments to his style of play. He has got a much better technique now and more importantly is much more patient now. Virat is an excellent judge of which ball to leave and it was evident in the practice game. He played some glorious drives through the covers and was great to watch. Virat carrying his form forward will be crucial at this juncture.

3. Umesh Yadav’s control over the swing

Umesh Yadav was always considered to be a great talent. He bowled at a great pace which troubled the batsmen more often than not. However, his accuracy and control were two of his biggest enemies. He often sprayed deliveries down to the leg of the batsmen or wide outside off stump which they feasted upon. This has also seen him being left out of the team on a few occasions.

But, Umesh is a completely different bowler now and is bowling with some great accuracy. Also, he was seen controlling the extra swing that is on offer in this particular practice game and ended up picking 4 wickets in the innings. With Shami not in great form, Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah unavailable, Umesh could be a great asset for the team going into this tour.

4. Dinesh Karthik’s contribution down the order

India’s problems with their wicket-keepers’ batting is a long known problem. However, since the arrival of MS Dhoni into the international scene, this has completely changed. The Test batting average of Indian keepers in England, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand was just 18.6 before Dhoni’s arrival. The average raised significantly to 31.3 in these countries during the Dhoni era.

However, post his retirement, it took a major dip and is just 12.4 currently which is disappointing. But, with Dinesh Karthik in some great form and doing well in this practice game is a great sign. Karthik scored a quickfire 82 off 95 balls in the first innings which is a great sign and he will be very important in the lineup.

5. Ajinkya Rahane showing signs of being in good touch

Ajinkya Rahane has struggled with the bat in the recent times. In the series against Sri Lanka in 2017, Rahane only managed to score 17 runs in 5 innings which was also much lesser than few of the bowlers. In the two innings he played against South Africa, he only managed to score 57 runs. He is one of the most important members in the Indian middle order, especially in the away tours.

Going into this series, his form was a major concern. However, in the practice game, Rahne spent some good time in the middle which will help him understand the conditions better. Although he didn’t get big scores, he was striking the ball well which is a good sign. Rahane scored 17 runs in the first innings and was unbeaten on 19 runs in the second innings.

Flops:

1. Dinesh Karthik’s keeping

Apart from the wicket-keepers’ batting, their keeping was another concern in the Pre-Dhoni era. This was quite evident in the away touring where the keepers found it difficult with the ball doing so much. But, after Dhoni’s retirement, the Indian team was blessed to have a brilliant gloveman in Wriddhiman Saha.

But, Saha’s absence in this series will mean that India will have to go in with a different keeper. Although Dinesh Karthik is great with the bat, his glovework in the longest format isn’t up to the standards. Karthik gave away 18 Byes in one innings in this game which should bother the team management as these runs could be critical when the game goes down to the line.

2. Shikhar Dhawan’s pair

Shikhar Dhawan went into this tour with some great form. He did well for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Also, he scored a century in the only Test match against Afghanistan. He started the UK tour on a good note in the game against Ireland. However, as the series progressed, his form has taken a dip and he seems to be struggling at the moment.

He got out for a duck in both the innings in the practice game against Essex making it a pair. He was expected to play an important role in England considering his good record in the country. However, this sudden dip in form is not so pleasing and he ended up being one of the biggest flops of the practice game.

3. Mohammed Shami’s comeback

Mohammed Shami has been undergoing a lot both personally and professionally. He has had a torrid time since the South Africa series ended. His form in the IPL was a huge disappointment and he was benched for a majority of the games. Furthermore, he was pulled out of the one-off Test against Afghanistan as he failed in the fitness test.

But, just ahead of the England Test series, he cleared the yo-yo test and was included in the squad. Shami is one of India’s premier bowlers in the Tests and has this knack of breaking partnerships. But, he failed terribly in the game against Essex. He bowled 21 overs in the innings and went wicketless which is very disappointing.

4. Hardik Pandya’s bowling

Hardik Pandya ended India’s long-sought troubles in finding a genuine all-rounder. Before this tour started, it seemed as if Hardik Pandya would provide a solution to many of India’s problems. It was expected that he gives flexibility to the side and the team could afford to play an extra batsman.

However, his performance in the practice game didn’t exactly suggest that. Although he did well with the bat, he failed to live up to the expectations with the ball. Pandya bowled 12 overs in the game and was wicketless. Also, he was quite expensive conceding 4.5 runs per over. His performance could get the management thinking hard.

5. The spin trouble

The green pitches in England do not offer much of turn. Spinners, who are India’s biggest strengths while playing in the subcontinent suddenly turn out to be a burden while playing overseas. This was quite evident in the practice game that was played. In fact, Virat Kohli didn’t even utilise their services much.

Out of the 94 overs that were bowled by the Indians, only 11 overs of spin were to be seen. Ravichandran Ashwin, with 5 overs bowled the highest number of overs amongst the spinners. None of the three spinners available managed to pick a wicket. With not many great fast bowling options available, the team will be definitely forced to field one or two spinners and it will be interesting to see what Virat Kohli has to do with them.