India vs England: Hosts' baffling bowling tactics and Bumrah's audacity put visitors in driving seat
India vs England: Hosts' baffling bowling tactics and Bumrah's audacity put visitors in driving seat
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The rain might have ensured that only 38.5 overs were bowled on Day Two at Edgbaston, but at least for those watching on there was no let up in England’s new ‘we’re in the entertainment business’ policy – although those of an English persuasion perhaps wished that entertainment hadn’t come entirely at their own team’s expense.
England awoke to leaden Birmingham skies, picked out their already well-filled scrapbook titled ‘Disastrous bowling to tailenders’ and decided to wantonly cram in another entry, India’s lower order happily obliging them by leathering 76 more runs from their overnight score in just under 12 overs.
India’s final three of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj should not strike fear into the hearts of many bowling attacks and yet as England toiled away in the early part of the day they might as well have been facing Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman for all the success they had.
This is not a new affliction for this England side who for all that Brendon McCullum’s winds of change have improved still retain a touching devotion to completely going to pieces when bowling to the opposition’s lower order.
It is clearly not a problem of inexperience, after all, England’s captain and two senior bowlers alone now have 410 caps between them, not to mention 1383 wickets – and yet not for the first time the home side had to watch on as an opposition tail wagged propitiously once more.
As far as cricketing entertainment goes, these days one way or the other Stuart Broad is never usually far from the heart of the action and so it proved once again on Day Two, England’s cricket comedy titan stepping up and producing once more.
It was not in all honesty how Broad probably envisaged his morning going, particularly when he picked up the scalp of Shami to give him his 550th Test wicket, the pride in reaching the milestone – putting him just 13 wickets behind Glenn McGrath’s tally and a place in the top five wicket-takers of all time – somewhat undercut by what would happen shortly after.
When he looks back on his career, Broad’s 18th over in this innings is unlikely to be one he remembers with much fondness, it will however be one forever recorded in the annals of cricketing history – the 35 runs conceded a new Test record for a single over.
India’s stand-in skipper, Bumrah, will undoubtedly feel differently, particularly as his freewheeling hitting saw him overtake Brian Lara to claim the single over record for a batsman.
At the very core of England’s ineffective bowing to tailenders has been a devotion to short-ball tactics, a strategy more and more bemusing with every repeated failed use, and it was no different here.
Bumrah was in all-guns-blazing mode, he hooked Broad’s first ball, a screaming top edge that Zak Crawley attempted to catch but could not, the ball bouncing through him for four. Next came five wides bouncing over the keeper’s head, before another top edge, this time a no ball that also went for six. One legal delivery bowled, 16 runs conceded.
The good news for Broad was there were no more extras in the over, the bad news perhaps outweighing it being that Bumrah hit three consecutive fours and a six, not to mention scampering a quick single off the last ball to ensure he pipped Lara’s record by one run.
The next over Anderson ended the fun, Siraj caught at mid-off, but the damage by then had been well and truly done, India’s final pair – combined Test batting average 12.41 – had added 41 from just 17 balls.
England allowed India’s last three wickets to add 93 runs, particularly galling given their first five only managed 98, a lot might have changed for Ben Stokes’ side but some things just stay the same.
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