India vs England: Bizarre tactics, over-reliance on Joe Root — where hosts lost the plot at Lord's
India vs England: Bizarre tactics, over-reliance on Joe Root — where hosts lost the plot at Lord's
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Test cricket was at its best on Monday when hosts England and India were involved in a feisty clash at Lord’s. Fortunes kept swinging both ways throughout the five days of the Test, but the major game-changing moment perhaps came when Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah shared a 89-run partnership for the ninth wicket in the second innings. India declared at 298/8, soon after lunch, and the rest was history.
For England, this match showed problems aplenty, and raised a few concerns in certain areas—top-order batting, the bowlers’ approach against Indian lower-order, and so on.
Here, we take a look at what went wrong for Joe Root and Co.
Bizarre tactics
England’s plan of persisting with short-ball stuff to Shami and Bumrah certainly did not work out well. In fact, it backfired.
The Indian top and middle-order had a mixed outing with the bat in their second innings, with contributions from Ajinkya Rahane (61) and Cheteshwar Pujara (45) being the positives. And when Ishant Sharma was struck LBW, India were reeling at 209/8.
Bumrah joined Shami in the middle and England should've wrapped up the innings soon.
But surprisingly, Joe Root had his field spread out. And then England pacers unleashed a barrage of short balls instead of keeping it simple and dealing with length deliveries.
Shami and Bumrah did not get intimidated with the short-ball strategy. They counter-attacked, taking on the pacers as well spinner Moeen Ali. Shami got to his second Test fifty with a four and six off Ali.
The spread out field also gave the scope for singles as the duo kept the scoreboard ticking.
Root later admitted to committing the tactical blunders, adding that he underestimated the Indian lower-order.
"Looking back, I'd look at some of the field placings and the way we bowled. We could have looked at maybe attacking the stumps a little bit more frequently and using short ball as more of a surprise.”
Over-reliance on Joe Root
Root top scored in the first innings of the first match in Nottingham with 64 when his team made just 183. He followed it up with a century (109), once again bearing the burden of scoring runs in the second innings.
At Lord’s, the scene wasn’t much different either. Root (180 not out) scored the bulk of the runs in their first innings and helped England to take a slim lead of 27 runs.
Former player Geoffrey Boycott voiced his concerns about England becoming over reliant on their skipper when it comes to batting.
"This Test match has proved two things. Firstly, if you are stupid you do not deserve to win Test matches. As much as we love Joe Root for his magnificent batting, he cocked up with his tactics.”
"Secondly, England cannot keep relying on Joe for all their runs. There has to be an improvement from the top three very soon because it is getting beyond a joke," Boycott wrote in The Telegraph.
Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow haven’t had much impressive figures in Tests this year. In five Tests tSihat Buttler has made, he’s managed just 250 runs at an average above 31, while Bairstow has scored 285 runs from six innings, albeit at an average of just 25.90.
In comparison to the duo, Root amassed 1277 runs this year, at an average of 67.21, with five centuries to his name.
ECB’s rotation policy did play a part in Buttler and Bairstow having played less games this year, but the duo have been performing well below par.
England head coach Chris Silverwood spoke about the issue last week.
“We have to address and accept we are not getting those runs so we have to look at why. It’s not through lack of effort or hard work. It’s just a case that we have to try and find a formula that works. That’s a work in progress at the moment. We need to do something. Ideally, we get the guys scoring runs again and get the confidence back in them. But if that doesn’t happen obviously I have to have a look,” Silverwood said after the first Test.
Sibley-Burns opening pair not lifting off
A flawless start to an innings is what every team desires but that as not been the case for England recently. The opening pair of Dom Sibley and Rory Burns have come under intense scrutiny, with former cricketer Michael Vaughan terming the decision to continue as openers as ‘insanity’.
While Burns did score 49 in the first innings of the Lord’s Test, he has been far from consistent.
Burns and Sibley created an unwanted record when they both were dismissed for ducks in the second innings, the first instance that England openers failing to score in a home Test innings.
Sibley’s duck, was in fact, the 10th time that an England opener has been dismissed for a duck – the most by any team ever.
Vaughan batted for Dawid Malan being given a chance at number three, with Hameed as an opener, going ahead into the series.
"I want a bit more substance and experience. I want to see Dawid Malan at three. England cannot keep going with the Rory Burns-Dom Sibley opening partnership after 10 ducks this year. It is the definition of insanity. It just does not work,"
"In total, 37 per cent of their partnerships this year have not gone past the second over. That is staggering. You can't carry on with that and England know it. I would give Hameed his rightful spot to open and throw in Malan. England now need a little bit of substance. They have three games against India then straight into an Ashes series," Vaughan wrote in The Telegraph.
