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Time for England to face spin music
There is nothing wrong or unfair in giving the England team turning pitches to negotiate. After all, what is home advantage for?
By Boria Majumdar
There has been much talk about the Indians being unfair and not giving the English the option to practice against spin in the first warm-up game on tour. It has also been said that while the English expect turners, it isn’t in sync with the spirit of the game to use home advantage so blatantly.
The fact is that there is nothing wrong in using home advantage. At least, India isn’t being hypocritical and getting the English to play their first warm-up match in Guwahati or Vizag. If one remembers the first and only warm-up game during India’s tour of 2011, it was played in Taunton and hardly did much to get the Indians ready for the Test matches to follow. A two day warm-up game, half of which was rained off, was not adequate preparation to take on the might of the English fast bowlers at Lord's.
The fact is that there is nothing wrong in using home advantage. At least, India isn’t being hypocritical and getting the English to play their first warm-up match in Guwahati or Vizag. If one remembers the first and only warm-up game during India’s tour of 2011, it was played in Taunton and hardly did much to get the Indians ready for the Test matches to follow. A two day warm-up game, half of which was rained off, was not adequate preparation to take on the might of the English fast bowlers at Lord's.
The result - a 4-0 whitewash. While the BCCI shouldn’t have agreed to one warm-up match, it is also a fact that the English had planned it well. Don’t give the Indians much practice, get them to play four quick bowlers and ruffle them up was the plan. It worked to perfection and to their credit, they appropriated the tag of the best in the world. At the time we Indians were critical of our own team and their inability to negotiate the fast, swinging ball. None of us criticized the conditions or the English strategy for it was only expected when you are on an away tour.
This time round, however, things are different. The English appear to have been stumped with the Indian strategy even before the tour has begun and former English captains have already upped the ante. It is time to say for the umpteenth time, there is nothing wrong or unfair in giving the English turners to negotiate. Rather, it is par for the course. From what we have seen in the last twelve months, an abject surrender against the guile of Saeed Ajmal in Dubai and falling to Harbhajan and Piyush Chawla in Colombo, the English have a lot of work to do against spin.
This time round, however, things are different. The English appear to have been stumped with the Indian strategy even before the tour has begun and former English captains have already upped the ante. It is time to say for the umpteenth time, there is nothing wrong or unfair in giving the English turners to negotiate. Rather, it is par for the course. From what we have seen in the last twelve months, an abject surrender against the guile of Saeed Ajmal in Dubai and falling to Harbhajan and Piyush Chawla in Colombo, the English have a lot of work to do against spin.
It is a battle that is as much in the mind and they haven’t shown glimpses of winning it yet. India, with the red hot spin combination of Ashwin and Ojha, should definitely play to their strengths at home and use home advantage to the fullest. The plan should be simple - prepare sporting tracks for domestic cricket so that the youngsters get accustomed to fast, bouncy wickets and don’t lose the plot away from home. But for international cricket, continue to play to your strengths.
Sydney, too, is a seriously good example. Till some years earlier Sydney used to offer decent purchase for spinners. Things, however, changed during the Ashes Test of 2011. And when the Indians landed in Sydney at the start of the year it was no less than a green top. Losing the toss, the Indians were bundled out for less than 200 and the result was a foregone conclusion.
Sydney, too, is a seriously good example. Till some years earlier Sydney used to offer decent purchase for spinners. Things, however, changed during the Ashes Test of 2011. And when the Indians landed in Sydney at the start of the year it was no less than a green top. Losing the toss, the Indians were bundled out for less than 200 and the result was a foregone conclusion.
At the time no one criticized the curator or the Australian Board and justly so. It is only natural that Australia will play to its strengths in Australia. All of this brouhaha is reserved for India as if we are committing a grave wrong by preparing turners and playing to our strength at home.
The plot is simple - get under the skin of the English in the manner Saurav Ganguly had done to Steve Waugh’s number one team in 2001. The result - a historic series win for India. With Strauss giving way to Cook and Pietersen making a comeback after all the madness, there is enough that the Indians can exploit even before the first ball is bowled in Ahmedabad.
It will be a high octane series, which in many ways will determine the future of Test cricket in India and there can be nothing better than performance to draw the spectators to the ground. In trying to do so, India should pave the way for Ashwin and Ojha to celebrate the demise of the English on tracks that suit them to perfection.
To hell with sporting spirit - it is now a cliché that is already much abused elsewhere in the world. Virat Kohli is right in saying there can’t be different yardsticks for different teams. It is time for the English to face the spin music.
The plot is simple - get under the skin of the English in the manner Saurav Ganguly had done to Steve Waugh’s number one team in 2001. The result - a historic series win for India. With Strauss giving way to Cook and Pietersen making a comeback after all the madness, there is enough that the Indians can exploit even before the first ball is bowled in Ahmedabad.
It will be a high octane series, which in many ways will determine the future of Test cricket in India and there can be nothing better than performance to draw the spectators to the ground. In trying to do so, India should pave the way for Ashwin and Ojha to celebrate the demise of the English on tracks that suit them to perfection.
To hell with sporting spirit - it is now a cliché that is already much abused elsewhere in the world. Virat Kohli is right in saying there can’t be different yardsticks for different teams. It is time for the English to face the spin music.
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