India have begun strongly in Nottingham Test as ever they always have in the away tests. This time the seam bowling attack, none of whom can bowl express pace have sent 70% of the team in the hut by session and three fourths. Without Zaheer Khan, the jelly bellies of 2007 are yet casting their magic around the Englishmen.
The English need to win a test and then ensure they dont lose any to grab # 1, India just need to win this one and prolly draw next 2 and not lose both to ensure they hold onto the # 1 test ranking. India are way better side than they were at Lord's. Plus they begun as slow as they always have on away tours. West Indies is an exception, they won the first test there.
One thing that comes to my mind seeing the build up to this significant tour is the preparedness and mindset of India towards this tour. A whole bunch of key players were rested for the West Indies tour. No Tendulkar, no Zaheer, no Sehwag and Gambhir. No Yuvraj, Yet India almost managed to have won all 3 tests.
In the England tour, the injuries woes have returned to haunt India. No Zaheer, no Gambhir. Yuvraj and Sreesanth in.
That has been the story of Indian cricket since 2008. There have been hardly a tour where India have gone in with full strength team entire tour. Some of their players either have rested or got injured. Sehwag and Gambhir have missed many tests either together or one of them has lost out. Imagine the picture if Sehwag was around in West Indies and Lord's. Imagine the scenario if he was around in 2007 in the same country.
Same goes for the ODI team. The world cup winners played hardly together since 2009 yet when they played together they won. So many fringe players out of quota, regionalism were tried, but later on it came to the core players and experienced players who got India the trophy.
Perhaps the skewed priorities of BCCI to have its players play the IPL and then CLT20 and then scheduling a tour immediately after has got to do a lot towards player burn out and perhaps thats where lies the anwers to the woes India faces in the first tests of away tours.
BTW India have now came back strongly to send 8 Englishmen back in hut even before the tea.
