And You Seriously Expected A Greentop?

 

 

Cricket 2014

 

A Slow Start

 

July 10^th 2014

 

One of the problems of this T20 age is that fans have little patience when it comes to Test cricket. Your average T20 match is often pretty much set up in an hour, decided in two and done and dusted in two and a half yet, in a Test match, it may not be until Day 3 or even 4 when you discover who has made best use of the toss. Even so, a lot of fans are more than happy to explain after half an hour of play that the match is decided and the result done and dusted as if it were a T20.

On a pitch that was more Nagpur than Nottingham, India had a solid day, but not a particularly exceptional one, probably losing one more wicket than they would have wished to. Had England taken one more wicket, they could even have considered themselves well on top. It is that sort of position with neither side really able to claim superiority. England know that India have a long tail and that one early wicket on Day 2 would open the prospect of dismissing India for little over 300. However, with Dhoni and Vijay already having put on 81 together and Dhoni with a Test double century last year, the Indians will know that 450 or 500 is certainly not out of the question.

The Trent Bridge pitch is offering little for the bowlers. There is little bounce or pace. Edges are dropping short of fielders. There is little or no seam movement or swing to exploit. However, there is also little to encourage the batsman: runs have to be ground out and, after two wickets went down quickly after lunch, a full ten over period went by with just eleven runs being added. Despite being very harsh on Moeen Ali’s spin (0-50 from 9 overs) and being on top for long periods of the day, India ground along at well under 3 an over. It all seems to support the theory that neither side will be adventurous and that the Indian batsmen will attempt to put pressure on England by grinding-out large totals and frustrating them.

However, there is one major question that could not be answered today: what will a top-class spinner find in this surface, particularly on Days 4 and 5? India may regret not having Ravi Ashwin available, although Jadeja has a reasonable, although not outstanding record. Certainly, to have gone for the gentle medium pace of Binny as fifth bowler and picking a seam-heavy attack will make it more difficult for them to put 500 on the board and then put fielders around the bat in the hope spinning England out with scoreboard pressure.

England will hope to restrict India to around 330 which, on such a lifeless surface would be an excellent effort, go past 450 themselves on Day 3 and put India under some pressure themselves. We do not know though what the Indian bowlers will make of this surface. Until both sides have batted it would be unwise to make premature judgements of the match situation and the likely result. That though will not stop millions of fans from trying to do just that.