Kumar Sangakkara salutes India’s batsmen for ironing out some kinks in their game after the tourists passed 200 for just the second time in 10 innings in England…
To compare conditions from anywhere in England to that particular few days at Lord’s in the second Test might be a bit unfair.
There was excessive movement in the air and off the pitch and the England bowlers bowled well and with a lot of patience. It would have been testing for any batting unit around the world.
Conditions at Trent Bridge were not as taxing, the pitch is a bit more easy-paced, but the Indian batsmen adjusted extremely well to facing the English bowlers after the first couple of Tests.
They tightened up their technique with the way they defended the ball – they played it a lot later than before, left it better than before.
They also drove the ball with more extension rather than flourish and put the bad deliveries away.
You must give credit to the work they have done between Lord’s and here, allowing India to build partnerships, particularly Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane’s 159-run stand for the fourth wicket.
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I think Rahane has very good technique – he is very compact and simple in his set up. He has all the shots and also a strong mind to be able to put a bad patch behind him and focus on what works on the day.
He had scathing Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s but has now come out and shown what he is capable of.
Kohli also plays every ball as it has presented itself. He has kept his positive intent in England but has cut down his attacking shots and trusted his technique, which shows he is a thinking, evolving batsman.
It was important that India put in a performance as if they lose this game the series is gone and they will now be looking to get 400, which would put them in a very strong position.
I think England’s bowlers performed well in patches but they were not able to generate the movement or the breakthroughs of the first two Tests and looked at times as though they were frustrated.
KEY STAT
India left 41 per cent of the balls they faced in the first 15 overs – the most they’ve done at that stage all series.
Adil Rashid, before he dismissed Kohli, was not able to crank up the pressure by either limiting the scoring or bowling wicket-taking deliveries.
That has meant the fast bowlers have been expected to deliver and I think they have searched for wickets and bowled where the India batsmen have wanted them to.
Ben Stokes has not been at his best after a long week – he has bowled some good deliveries but bowled short and wide on other occasions and will have to come back strong on day two.
Stokes’ return opened up a selection dilemma for England, with Sam Curran the man to miss out.
You could argue, particularly with the way Rashid bowled in the main, that they could have dropped a batsman instead of Sam and had the extra seamer.
But they seem to be thinking long-term with Keaton Jennings and Ollie Pope has just made his debut, so Sam, as a more like-for-like replacement for Stokes, was the player to make way.
It was probably the more practical and prudent option – Curran will understand why the decision was made and has a very bright future for England.
Watch day two of the third Test between England and India, from Trent Bridge, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am on Sunday.
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