India vs England, 1st Test: Will India’s starting trouble prove costly for Virat Kohli’s team?
India vs England, 1st Test: Will India’s starting trouble prove costly for Virat Kohli’s team? Rohit Sharma and his opening partner will…
India vs England, 1st Test: Will India’s starting trouble prove costly for Virat Kohli’s team? Rohit Sharma and his opening partner will have a big task in their hands when they will take on England during the upcoming Test series. India has managed just 1 fifty partnership for the opening wicket in the last 11 inns (6 Tests). In the absence of Shubman Gill and with Mayank Agarwal ruled out of the Nottingham Test, it’s highly likely that KL Rahul might open with Rohit Sharma in the opening Test. The openers need to play the first few hours and ensure they make the ball old to ensure middle-order play well.
In the opening game, the role of openers becomes crucial with a dipping form of India’s No.3 batsman Cheteshwar Pujara. He will be under pressure to perform after failing to score a fifty in the last 7 inns.
Meanwhile, India openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have managed just one fifty partnership in their last 11 innings. If the pattern continues then Virat Kohli’s hope of winning only the fourth Test in England could be dashed.
India vs England, 1st Test: Will India’ starting trouble prove costly for Virat Kohli’s team?
India’s last 11 inns (6 Tests) 1st wicket partnerships (All Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill)
WTC Final:
62 & 24
England Tour of India:
0
33 & 49
0 & 42
19 & 25
India tour of Australia:
11 & 18
70 & 16
0 & 16 (Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma)
0 & 7 (Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal)
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in England
Rohit Sharma would like to emulate his heroics in England after dominating them in the home Test series. However, he manages just 98 in Two Test matches at an average of 24.5 without even a fifty.
On the other hand, KL Rahul manages 299 runs in 5 Test matches including a century in England. He had slammed a ton in the practice in Durham last month. The right-handed batsman would be looking to solidify his position at the top and grab the opening slot.
India’s last tour in England: Check the openers had fared during 2018 India tour of England
Southampton: 37 & 4 (Shikhar Dhawan, Kl Rahul)- India lost by 60 runs
Nottingham: 60 & 60 (Shikhar Dhawan, Kl Rahul)- India won by 203 runs
Lord’s: 0 & 0 (Murali Vijay, KL Rahul)- India lost by inns and 159 runs
Birmingham: 26 & 50 (Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay)- India lost by 31 runs
The pattern shows opening batsmen hold the key in defining the course of the match. The more the runs openers score, there is more chance India go on to win the contest.
In fact, Dinesh Karthik and Wasim Jaffer had ensured India gets good starts during their last Test series win in England (2007). Their opening stands read: 18 & 40 (drawn), 147 & 47 (India won), 62 & 10 (drawn).
India vs England, 1st Test: Will India’ starting trouble prove costly for Virat Kohli’s team?
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