Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 42 - The Indian EYE 073126
P. 42

    STUMP VISION                                                              JULY 31, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 42

            India’s Tour of England and Ireland:

                                  Slide of White Ball Giant

             India returns home with more questions than answers. Transition is never easy, but it must

               be guided by a clear plan. The team needs stronger leadership, more disciplined bowling,
                                   sharper fielding, and better preparation for its young players

                                                                                                                  a  major  role  in  India’s  only  victory
                                                                                                                  of the tour, a six-wicket win in Bir-
                                                                                                                  mingham.  Even  in  the  final  ODI
                                                                                                                  at  Lord’s,  where  India  fell  27  runs
                                                                                                                  short while chasing a daunting 388,
                                                                                                                  Rohit and Kohli fought hard and
                                                                                                                  showed the difference between prov-
                                                                                                                  en champions and an inexperienced
                                                                                                                  batting  group.  Their  performances
                                                                                                                  also  highlighted  an  uncomfortable
                                                                                                                  truth,  the  next  generation  is  yet  to
                                                                                                                  consistently match the standards set
                     ARCHAN MEHTA
                                                                                                                  by India’s senior stars.
                                                                                                                      If  the  batting  struggled,  the
                  very  transition  comes  with                                                                   bowling and fielding were even big-
                  growing pains. But this one
            Ehas exposed cracks that can no                                                                       ger disappointments. India’s bowlers
                                                                                                                  rarely managed to build pressure or
            longer be ignored.                                                                                    control  the  flow  of  runs.  England
                India’s white-ball tour of Ireland
            and England was expected to mark                                                                      chased 191 comfortably in Manches-
                                                                                                                  ter before posting a massive 257 in
            the beginning of a new era. Instead,                                                                  Southampton. The problems contin-
            it turned into one of the team’s most                                                                 ued in the ODI series, with England
            disappointing overseas campaigns in                                                                   piling up 387 for 3 at Lord’s almost
            recent years. By the end of the tour at                                                               effortlessly.
            Lord’s, India had lost both the T20I                                                                      The fielding only made matters
            and ODI series, surrendered its No. 1                                                                 worse.  Dropped  catches,  misfields,
            T20I ranking, and, more importantly,                                                                  and  poor  work  on  the  boundary
            looked like a team searching for di-                                                                  allowed  opponents  to  score  easy
            rection. The defeats were not simply                                                                  runs  throughout  the  tour.  In  close
            about results. They revealed deeper                                                                   contests  like  the  one-run  defeat  to
            concerns  over  leadership,  batting,                                                                 Ireland  and  the  four-wicket  loss  in
            bowling, and fielding. For a side that                                                                Cardiff, those mistakes proved deci-
            has  dominated  world  cricket  in  re-                                                               sive. At the international level, such
            cent  years,  this  was  a  reality  check.                                                           errors are simply too costly.
                The biggest concern was leader-  Shreyas Iyer’’s first assignment as T20I captain against Ireland never gathered momentum. India
                                                                                                                      India returns home with more
            ship. Shreyas Iyer’’s first assignment   suffered back-to-back defeats, including a heartbreaking one-run loss in Belfast (ANI file photo)  questions than answers. Transition is
            as T20I captain against Ireland nev-                                                                  never easy, but it must be guided by
            er gathered momentum. India suf-  out  for  just  76  while  chasing  202.   resulting in a string of low scores. It   a clear plan. The team needs stron-
            fered  back-to-back  defeats,  includ-  Iyer’s field placements and bowling   would be unfair to judge his future on   ger  leadership,  more  disciplined
            ing a heartbreaking one-run loss in   changes  often  appeared  reactive,   one difficult tour, but it also showed   bowling,  sharper  fielding,  and  bet-
            Belfast. Shreyas looked calm as al-  while England’s fast bowlers repeat-  that talent alone is not enough at the   ter  preparation  for  its  young  play-
            ways, but his tactical decisions often   edly  exposed  his  weakness  against   highest level. Young players need   ers.  Losing  the  No.  1T20I  ranking
            lacked urgency. His own batting also   the short ball.              time to develop before being expect-  is  disappointing,  but  rankings  can
            suffered under the added responsi-    The tour also proved to be a dif-  ed to deliver against world-class at-  be  regained.  Restoring  confidence,
            bility. The fluent stroke-maker who   ficult  lesson  for  teenage  sensation   tacks.                identity, and consistency will take far
            usually controls the innings looked   Vaibhav  Suryavanshi.  Considered   There were, however, a few pos-  more work. The talent remains, but
            hesitant at the crease. The captain-  one of India’s brightest young talents,   itives. The return of Rohit Sharma   unless lessons are learnt quickly, this
            cy  for  the  England  series,  but  the   he was handed an early opportuni-  and Virat Kohli for the ODI series   difficult tour could become the be-
            change  in  opponents  brought  little   ty against quality bowling attacks in   reminded  everyone  why  experience   ginning of a longer slide rather than
            improvement.                      challenging English conditions. The   still matters. Rohit’s aggressive starts   just a temporary setback.
                India  lost  the  five-match  T20I   experience  turned  out  to  be  tough-  finally gave India some momentum,
            series  4-0,  with  one  game  washed   er  than  expected.  Swing,  bounce,   while  Kohli  once  again  anchored   Archan Mehta is a writer dedicated to
            out. The lowest point came at Not-  and relentless pressure exposed the   the  innings  with  remarkable  com-  telling compelling stories about athletes,
            tingham,  where  India  was  bowled   youngster’s  technical  shortcomings,   posure. Their partnership played   teams, and the world of cricket

                                                                   www.TheIndianEYE.com

| 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 |