In the second inning of Test 3, when Ben Stokes was out of play before Ravichandran Ashwin, that was the 11th time the England all-rounder had fallen prey to the Indian spinner. A faster delivery caught Stokes and he did not review the referee’s decision on the field. He seemed defeated.
A tally of 146 races in six innings in the series so far doesn’t match Stokes’s stature as the best off-roader in the world. He started well, with 82 in the first innings of the first test. On a benign field, however, he was playing without pressure. Joe Root and Dom Sibley had already laid the groundwork for a grand total. Stokes has scored 7, 18, 8, 6 and 25 since then. When the ball started spinning, it went out.
Stokes’ poor form is one of the main reasons England have been unable to counter India’s attack on spinning shots. In a series that was expected to be Joe Root’s biggest hitting support, the 29-year-old has let his team down. England’s rotation policy has made things worse. Stokes has played Tests in India before. He is a regular player in the Indian Premier League and the conditions here are not unknown to him. Their failure has turned England into a one-man batting unit. Deprived of support, Root’s hitting has also slipped after his double century in the first Test.
Not a happy hunting ground
Since August 2019, Stokes has scored 1,422 runs in 18 events, including four centuries. His 135 not out against Australia in Leeds will be remembered for a long time. He dominated the West Indies last season before taking compassionate leave to be with his ailing father. However, Stokes’ record in India has been disappointing. His batting average here is 32, compared to his career average of 37, while his bowling average in this part of the world is 46, compared to his career average of 31.
“Obviously, Stokes is one of the best players, which he has delivered on many occasions. But to be number one in the world, a player must be successful against all kinds of bowling in different conditions, ”said former Pakistan captain Asif Iqbal. He described England’s selection failures that he said have affected the performance of players like Stokes.
Is Stokes’s problem against spinning in vaulters technical? Iqbal disagreed. “Certain bowlers become bogeys for certain hitters, and Ashwin has become Stokes’s bogey, but coaches use the term ‘technical’ too much. Technique is what suits a hitter to adapt to certain conditions, not what the training book says. Ashwin has gained a psychological advantage over Stokes, but the latter is good enough to overcome that. Stokes has reached a level where he knows what technical adjustments he needs to make to counter the twist in the vaulters. You don’t need any training for that. Stokes’ problem is that he is not playing his natural game. “Iqbal told The Indian Express.
Neither approach works
In a rank change at Chepauk in the second test, Stokes was confident in his defense. He was ready to wait for his moment in the middle, as evidenced by his shots (18 of 34 balls and 8 of 51 balls). He was fired by an Ashwin beauty in the first inning, while the southpaw became overly cautious in the second. In Ahmedabad he also tried to graft in the early innings. Three futile attempts later, Stokes decided to throw his bat at just about everything on the second dig.
“Stokes’s hitting is full of style and, at the moment, style is lacking in his game. England are already narrowly three-four wickets down when they are reaching the fold and are restricting their natural game, thinking they will be criticized if they come out playing in style. This is due to England’s ridiculous rotation policy, which prevents them from playing with a stable team. The biggest flaw in English cricket at the moment is this ridiculous rotation policy, which is affecting the pace of their players, ”Iqbal felt.
“High-level hitters are struggling to get into the rhythm because there is no continuity. Jonny Bairstow played well in Sri Lanka before resting for the first two tests in India. When he returned, he bagged a couple. A batter can be left with nothing in both innings, but in tough conditions, Bairstow had to start over. And since the top order is not scoring runs, England’s middle order, a hitter like Stokes, has been suffering the negative dribbling effect. Teams are not built by rotation but by continuity ”.
Rotation is a problem
With England scheduled to play 17 events this year, their cricket hierarchy has focused on workload and mental fatigue management in times of Covid, when players operate under strict biosecurity protocols.
“Test cricket is the pinnacle. Don’t think players would like to miss a test to rest. England, at the moment, do not have the strength of the bench to replace the players who are resting. To rotate, you must have the strength of a bank like India. “
The former skipper of Pakistan was clear that more than the field of Biker, the poor cricket of England was the reason for his defeat in the third test.
“On bad terrain, you get trapped around the bat, no bowling or LBW. Many hitters threw themselves into direct deliveries. Test cricket is about mastering different conditions, which England have not achieved. “
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