How Team India leveled the Test Series at Chennai!

by Abhishek Chakraborty

Team India beat England by 317 runs in the second Test at Chennai to level the Test series at 1-1 with World Test Championship at stake. Here are our 5 pointers on how India turned the tables around at the same ground they lost to the visitors just a few days ago:

1. Determined India Takes Deliberate Home Advantage

Having lost the first encounter on a red soil laid Chennai pitch, India had all to do in the 2nd Test match at the same venue.

The Indians were not heavily impressed with the strip they played on as it clearly favored the side that had won the toss and chose to bat for the first two and a half days. It was termed as a merciless ‘road’ ! And the pitch suddenly started doing tricks by the 3rd day and England soon were in pole position after amassing a humungous total.

The BCCI soon removed its curator Taposh Chatterjee who was to oversee the pitch preparation at the MA Chidambaram Stadium for the second Test.

The Indian team management oversaw the pitch preparation thereafter along with chief local groundsman V Ramesh Kumar, who hadn’t prepared a pitch even for a first-class game before the first Test that India lost to England. Kumar had been assigned the crucial task of preparing the pitch, for which black soil was used instead of red to make the ball talk as early as possible.

2. Rohit & Rahane Rose Up To The Occasion

India won the toss and chose to bat, it was envisaged as a crucial toss to win again. The pitch started doing its tricks right from the first hour. After an impressive Olly Stone first up spell, England already had the likes of Moeen Ali and Jack Leach on it exploiting the goods. But Rohit Sharma was already on a roll with his ever commanding footwork and reliable slog sweeps.

Though India were pushed into a spot of bother at 86/3 with two golden ducks against Gill and Kohli’s names, Rohit and Ajinkya marched forward steadily with decisive stroke making and solid defence encountering the sharp spin fetched from the exploding black soil. Both had question marks on their consistency prior to this innings but had hardly let such thoughts affect their determination and will power to see India through, out of the rut and took the team to a position of strength.

Rohit secured his 7th Test ton, eventually piling up a yet another big knock of 161 runs off 231 deliveries with 18 boundaries and 2 over boundaries. Rahane made a gritty 67 before succumbing to an inside edge off a sweeping attempt.

Rishabh Pant added a quickfire counter-attacking 58 to extend India’s first innings total to 329.

Cricketing experts like Mark Butcher and Sunil Gavaskar felt that 329 on this rank turner was equivalent to a 500 odd score on a lesser challenging pitch and that England spinners had conceded way too many runs due to their inconsistency in line and length, the odd loose balls were always round the corner in each and every over which both Rohit and Rahane had effectively capitalized upon, in their 162 run partnership.

3. Ashwin Bamboozled England Into A State Of Surrender

England’s vigil at the crease hardly lasted a session and a half in response to India’s solid first innings as they capitulated to a mere score of 134 lending the hosts a massive lead of 195 runs. English wicket-keeper batsman Ben Foakes was the standout performer for them as he stood not out at 42* off 107 deliveries after giving one & all a wicket keeping masterclass behind the stumps on the field during India’s batting stint.

India’s debutant Axar Patel took the biggest scalp in the form of Joe Root. While the rest of the side were easy prey to Ashwin’s nonchalant deception with the cherry on that turning square strip. He grabbed his 29th 5-fer as England showed zero application facing quality spin apart from Ben Foakes.

Ashwin’s trickery and skillset was simply too hot to handle and the batsmen had no clue whatsoever. With Axar’s impressive consistency, there seemed to be no respite at either ends. Ishant, Siraj too chipped in with wickets in their short spells while Kuldeep was hardly required.

4. Ashwin Reap Rewards For His Consistent Batting Prowess

It simply had to be this way. India took off from where they left in the first innings. By now, the Indians had got a hang of this pitch and felt at home more than ever.

They were in their aggressive self, sitting pretty on top of this game with no apprehensions at all. Gill and Rohit gave India a brisk start at 42 for no loss but soon India wilted to 106/6 before Ravi Ashwin came to the crease to join Kohli who had rectified his first innings mistake facing Moeen Ali who had bowled an off spinner’s delight getting him through the gate while driving to a wide one and was playing on swiftly at one end.

Ashwin looked at ease as he brought about his conventional sweep and reverse sweep into the fore and nullified England’s spin threat with Moeen Ali and Jack Leach. The formidable Test batsman in Ravichandran Ashwin was back out there tackling it all with sheer disdain on a pitch that was soon slated as ‘unsporting’, ‘unplayable’, ‘poor’ by frustrated English experts in the form of Michael Vaughan, Simon Hughes.

It was a befitting answer to all of those critics who are of the opinion that a rank turner is a crime but a green top is pretty much fine. Ashwin managed to get his 5th Test ton partnering Siraj and it was a sight to behold for the home crowd. A mammoth target of 482 runs was set infront of England as their second innings on this highly happening pitch seemed nothing but a mere formality !

5. Axar Sealed The Deal With His Dream Debut

Axar got his first five wicket haul in addition to India’s resounding victory as the England side was completely blown away from the contest by Ashwin’s heroics following Rohit’s belligerent knock. In the second innings, Root tried his best to hang around as long as possible but the dream seemed too far fetched.

Axar changed his pace variations effectively to suit the conditions and kept procuring enough wickets to ensure himself a firm spot in the playing eleven for the remainder of the series.

Moeen Ali hit a cameo for the crowd filled stands and IPL team owners as the mini IPL auction is just round the corner, with his 18 ball 43 runs knock. Kuldeep got into the wickets column with a brace as Ashwin ended the match with an overall eight-fer and a ton to his name grabbing the Man of the match infront of his cheerful Chennai crowd.

The series stands levelled at 1-1 as we head onto the world’s biggest stadium in Motera for the exciting Pink ball test affair with India needing to win the series in order to qualify for the WTC Final at Lords later in June !