Cricket: Indians undone by spin

England have shown,test matches are won,when wickets are taken by bowlers and runs are scored by batsman. Ahmadabad seemed a timid match,like reading from a cliche' Bollywood the script. Dhoni asked for bounced and English spinners turned the table on Indian batsman, literally. Indian played with three spinners, none of them looked even closely as threatening as English spinners. The flurry of wickets on the first day set Indian on back foot. Cook and Pietersen, just rode the Indian bowling. I mean how tough it is for a spinner to purchase their wickets by constantly inviting the batsman to drive. Bhajji has almost lost it. Ashwin kept firing at middle and leg on Cook who kept dabbing most of the time, and turning it when the opportunity arrived. Indian batsmen lost on turn and bounce!

 

Often when playing at home,Indian problems get masked in the limelight of victory. I think we should welcome bouncy pitches, this result withstanding. I mean I don't know how easy is it for our batsmen, go wake up on a flight, disembark and bat on a bitch where ball is bouncing and climbing to chest high. I hope Indian bitches continue to turn and bounce. There is hope that emanates from this series of events.

 

Fingers, palms together closed fist and knock out punch.

 

Indian batsman of yore would use their feet, testament to this fact are bowling averages of Murali and Warne in India and other illustrious spinners before them. The new age Indian batsman, with heavier bats, bought up on flat-graveyard-for-bowlers pitch, tend to play from the crease. There was just one shot from Ashwin when the batsman got adventurous stepped out and smacked Swann for a six. The next delivery predictably was short pitch on middle and leg. The weariness to camp inside to the crease rather than getting to the pitch of ball and hitting over the top of all around the ground is the bane of Indian batsman today. If you play and prod against the spinner, your luck will run out sooner rather than latter. 

 

Beaten by the pace and bounce of Spin.

 

Indian batting team scores in an inverse relation to the bounce on the pitch. Swann and Monty bowled fast on a turning pitch aided with bounce Their missing ingredient however was an invitation to drive. It is another skill that the Indian spinner lacked. Bhajji has been the chief exponent on how not to get wickets and spin. There could be various reasons for Bhajji being off the boil for last couple of years or more. I would just like to highlight. That in the last world cup (payed in India) he just had few wickets and for better part of tournament, Indian leading spinner had same number of wickets as Prosper Utseya of Zimbabwe. Its been that sad for Turbanator. Bhajji stock delivery is one which sees to crash land, on leg (sometimes) out of leg stump(more often than not) offering a single if not a boundary. I don't know if any batsmen visiting India would not welcome Harbhajan bowling. Bhajji has lost it.

 

Cook Pietersen together bake the cake.

 

England had one meaningful partnership and guess that was enough. Cook and Pietersen just pulverized a toothless Indian attack.. Indian bowlers had no clue where to bowl. Cook held one end up. Pietersen played a very crucial knock. He hammered at will He plays a high risk game, when it does come off, England look very good. He took this game with the scruff of the neck and just flayed it all along. He never looked to get out. His body language was proactive and he was in control. He out paced Cook for most of the partnership. It was very good attacking batting. His marathon innings ensured India were chasing a wild goose. English spinners did the rest. England won by 10 wickets a very good effort.

 

Looking back was it...

 

Was it the best toss to lose for England? Some careless batting, by the middle order and then some club class bowling saw us chasing the game. Pujara did hold one end up but feeble batting attempt by Sehwag, Kohli, Yuvraj and out of form Tendulkar just put us in a gridlock and we lost it from there. There are lot of lessons on offer provided team learns them and hopefully come out in Kolkatta as a better.

The series is now 1-1 with Indian Team on the back foot, this is now England's series to loose.