Cricket: India lost at Headlingley while holding all cards and won at Edgbaston when few expected them to

There is no cricket ground in the world that can hold a candle to Edgbaston when it comes to catering. Lord’s may have its tradition with cakes, Galle the most large-hearted spread of curries and Adelaide the occasional oyster surprise. But, the boffins of Birmingham, when the ground was redeveloped not too long ago, realised just how far good food goes in helping customers overlook inconveniences.

From seating in stands to technology troubles in media facilities, most things could be smoothed over if you just kept the good food coming. But it’s not clear if the chefs behind that movement had any recipes for humble pie handy.

After India’s win — they had not managed to come good at the venue in eight earlier attempts, losing seven times and drawing once — there was certainly enough cause, if not appetite, for generous servings of humble pie.

The first point of contention before the Test was team selection. Jasprit Bumrah, the best bowler in the world, had a week’s rest after Leeds, and yet he was wrapped in cottonwool and kept on the bench. Kuldeep Yadav, the bowler thought most likely to bamboozle his way to a bag of wickets, was overlooked.

India had struggled with the ball in Leeds, and yet they brought in all-rounders to shore up the batting. This was widely perceived as a defensive move. Even the most generous would only defend this by suggesting that the management were looking at the bigger picture of the series, where Bumrah would later be available for two more Tests.

But, going into a match looking only to avert defeat, rather than chase victory, even if it meant taking a chance or two, is usually the surest recipe for disaster. In retrospect, it appears the Indian think tank was on a different page altogether.

Gautam Gambhir’s time as coach has coincided with a streak in which India had lost seven of their nine Tests ahead of Edgbaston. Australia away, New Zealand at home, and then they could not defend 371 in Leeds. After each series, there were enough critics and experts — and it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish the two when you have rubbed as many people the wrong way as Gambhir has — who insisted that the Indian coach was on borrowed time.

Gambhir may not quite be laughing right now — and there is plenty of work to be done in the series yet, with it standing at 1-1 with three Tests to play — but he will be sitting a little more comfortably in the chair he occupies. Not too many coaches would have chosen this playing eleven, with a new captain in harness, but Gambhir backed his team. As an individual, taking a call and risking the consequences is one thing, but to do that with a team, when you cannot influence the action on the infield, and be prepared to face the music, displays character of a kind that is worthy of admiration.

If Gambhir had the guts, Shubman Gill had the good sense to take the opportunity of a lifetime within the lifetime of that opportunity. It is not every day you get good batting conditions in England against a relatively inexperienced pace bowling attack. When you do, it is your responsibility as a batsman to cash in, and with 269 and 161, it’s fair to say that Gill supped well at the Birmingham buffet.

So far, so good, but who was going to pick up 20 wickets? These conditions were tailor-made for Bazball, apparently on England’s demand. The home team wanted pitches that allowed their batsmen to hit through the line and score freely, allowing them to espouse their modern philosophy of bright batting that ensured that no target was beyond contemplation.

For some time now, better teams have done their all to deflate his Bazball insanity. Rank turners, green seamers, bounce and turn, everything has been deployed to defeat this non-Test style of Test-match play. And, every time, England have shown that there was a method to their madness and that their approach was more akin to stacking the odds in their favour, as a casino does, while giving the impression that anyone could walk in, roll the dice and think they were winners.

Enter Akash Deep. From the badlands of Bihar came this nondescript fast medium bowler who moved the ball both ways with more control than his English counterparts, who had grown up in these conditions. From the training ground of the Ranji Trophy emerged a bowler who could do a job that only Mohammad Shami had mastered in recent times, holding down a tight length while varying line just enough to interrogate batsmen.

Around these performances, the team worked together. Having lost a Test match in which they held all the cards only a week earlier, they now won one that they allegedly had no business even being competitive in. The deliciousness of this irony would not be lost on any of those who savoured the feast of the Edgbaston triumph.


(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com)