The Indian team will seek to draw level in the five-Test series against England when the second game begins at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on Thursday, 9 August. India handed the hosts a 1-0 lead after losing the series opener at Edgbaston.
Virat Kohli’s team should still be hurting from the 31-run loss at Birmingham. Compelled to chase an achievable fourth innings target of 194, India were dismissed for 162.
One hopes the Indian team will feed off the hurt and disappointment, and play their best cricket in the coming five days to give themselves the chance to draw level in the series. Here are three reasons to make the Indian team believe that they can win at Lord’s.
Lord’s: A Good Hunting Ground for Asian Teams
The Indian team will have fond memories of their previous visit to the Lord’s Cricket Ground. When they toured the venue in 2014, India was able to get the better of their hosts.
The Test was set up by Ajinkya Rahane’s first innings century, after which Bhuvneshwar Kumar hurt the hosts, first with the ball (6-68) and then with the bat (52 in the second innings).
Murali Vijay made a patient 95 in the second innings, after which Ravindra Jadeja put the England bowlers to the sword scoring his maiden Test half-century (68 off 57 balls). In the fourth innings, Ishant Sharma rolled over England, returning figures of 7-74 to lead India to a 95-run win.
Lord’s has been a happy hunting ground for Asian teams in recent times; teams from the sub-continent are undefeated in their last five visits to the venue.
Pakistan defeated England earlier this year and also in 2016. While Sri Lanka drew their Lord’s Tests in 2016 and 2014.
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London has been experiencing unusually high temperatures in recent weeks, and if the spell continues, one expects that the surface and overhead conditions could be more suitable to the Indian team than the home team in the upcoming Test match.
Worries on the Bowling Front Eased
Generally, the understanding is that England offers good bowling conditions (overhead and on ground). Despite that theory, the Indian team’s bowling performances on recent tours of England makes for disappointing reading. The Indian team was successful in dismissing the opposition twice in a Test match on only one occasion on each of the last two tours of England: at Lord’s in 2014 & at Trent Bridge in 2011.
In the opening Test of this tour at Edgbaston, India needed a little under 143 overs to dismiss the hosts twice. That was a brilliant way to start a series – and that appears to be the extension of a habit which the Indian team has cultivated in recent years.
In the past, the Indian team has wished for a bowling attack which could dismiss the opposition twice. But this team appears to be doing the job pretty effectively.
Keep Faith in Ajinkya Rahane & Carry On
In the days leading up to the tour, Ajinkya Rahane was expected to be one of the pillars of the Indian team’s batting line-up. The 30-year-old is believed to possess the technique and temperament to succeed in English conditions, and to deny the likes of James Anderson and company.
However, the first Test at Edgbaston turned out to be a massive disappointment for the Mumbai batsman, for he only managed scores of 15 & 2, dismissed feeling for the ball outside the off stump on both occasions.
Questions are already being asked if Ajinkya Rahane is indeed the same player he once was. Here are two reasons for Indian cricket fans to keep their faith in the Mumbai lad:
- Rahane is the only player in the current Indian squad to score an international century at Lord’s; his hundred set up India’s Test win in 2014.
- Rahane averages a Bradman-esque 92.67 in second Tests of overseas tours. He has scored hundreds in second Tests of each of the last three overseas Tests he has played in: 132 at Colombo (SSC) in 2017, 108* at Kingston in 2016 and 126 in Colombo (PSS) in 2015.
The above numbers can be interpreted as Rahane being a slow starter on overseas tours before he gets on a roll. One hopes Rahane will be able to feed off the fond memories of scoring a hundred at Lord’s previously and can perform to his Bradman-esque potential in the second Test.
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