India in Tests, especially in its backyard, remains an indomitable force. It was England’s turn to become aware of this reality as Rohit Sharma’s men claimed the fourth Test at Ranchi with a five-wicket victory and a day to spare. The win helped the host seize the series at 3-1 with just the final Test at Dharamshala left to commence on March 7. Irrespective of the verdict in that last tussle, Rohit’s men will own the silverware and the bragging rights for this series which has been a riveting tale of ups and downs with India sneaking in the last word. It was never meant to be easy against a strong England unit with its Bazball style of approach, a method that hustled games along, session by session through calculated aggression, frenetic run-rates and maverick field settings. As if to sound an ominous warning, Ben Stokes and his troops grabbed the first Test at Hyderabad by 28 runs. Even the most seasoned English analysts, including former captain Michael Atherton, predicted England’s superiority and the reasons were obvious. Rohit did not have the services of Virat Kohli, away on paternity leave, and an injured Mohammed Shami, and he helmed a largely inexperienced batting order. Yet, India found new heroes, ranging from Yashasvi Jaiswal to Dhruv Jurel.
Most freshers prospered even while Rajat Patidar struggled. Some seniors too rose to the occasion. Spearhead Jasprit Bumrah bowled spells that threatened stumps and even new pacers including Akash Deep lent a sharp hand. Since within the cricketing lexicon, India is supposed to be a land of spin and slow turn, there was no discounting R. Ashwin, on a record-breaking spree, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. For all the muscular dynamics that England’s batters often revealed, India was always up to the challenge and it was an exhilarating experience. Skipper Rohit and coach Rahul Dravid leaned on the new batters even if the temptation to recall Cheteshwar Pujara must have lingered in their minds. Sarfaraz Khan, Jaiswal, with 655 runs so far in this series, and Shubman Gill had their moments and the captain too struck a ton in the third Test at Rajkot. Meanwhile, England, often threatening to run away with the game, realised that under the warm Indian sun and on abrasive pitches, patience was an essential virtue. Veteran James Anderson and an inexperienced spin attack kept testing the host’s willow-wielders. But men like Jurel, sharp behind the stumps and equally calm in front of it, ensured that India’s unbeaten run in home Test series, continued unhindered well past a decade.
