The discussion of victory is fine, but the grief of defeat would have been more when the team lost in a one-sided match. Perhaps one of the best teams of the current era, if India loses by an innings, then it is fair to talk. And moreover, if a captain like Virat Kohli and a team loses by an innings and 76 runs, then there must be something missing in the thinking of team captaincy.
If Test cricket is shown only from the point of view of entertainment, then perhaps the same thing will happen in the coming times and it is sad to say that the standard of Test cricket is going down day by day. For almost the last two decades, Test cricket has almost come to the verge of its end.
Where on the one hand the captaincy of Joe Root brought England back in the series, on the other hand, India's captain Virat Kohli not giving a chance to an experienced player like Ashwin repeatedly questions his captaincy. On the same ground where the host team knocked India out of the match in the first innings by scoring 432 runs, on the same ground, India could touch the 300 mark even once. Let's try to understand three reasons that defeated India in the match against England.
Joe Root’s captaincy innings continues
This year will probably be known as Joe Root, 6 centuries and the third century of the current series is the matter, Joe Root is going through the golden phase of his career.
228 v Sri Lanka, Galle
186 v Sri Lanka, Galle
218 v India, Chennai
109 v India, Trent Bridge
180* v India, Lord's
100* v India, Headingley
A sixth Test hundred in 2021 for Joe Root. No Englishman has ever scored more in a calendar year.
We are witnessing something very special. pic.twitter.com/vbK8vxIXkE
Joe Root's score in the current series is 64, 109,180 * and 121 runs in 5 innings in which he has scored 33 runs in the second innings of the second test match. The responsibility of England's batting is largely dependent on Joe Root and so far he alone has managed to get the team out of every difficulty.
Only Alastair Cook has scored more Test hundreds for England than Joe Root.#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/gN5NNBnQzZ
There are still two matches of the series left and it is difficult to stop the Joe Root, India will have to find a solution, otherwise it will be too late.
Also Read | Joe Root can keep England alive in the series
Is there any more captaincy left in Virat Kohli?
Such a loss of a captain repeatedly raises questions on the captaincy somewhere. Virat Kohli probably has more than 7000 runs in test cricket and an average of close to 50. What it shows as a captain who is the best batsman of this era. Being a great batsman and being a successful captain are two different things. Virat Kohli is a fine batsman no doubt but he is a very weak captain which cannot be denied.
There is no such batsman in the present era of India's Test team who can win the team on his own, except Virat Kohli, but captaining one side and batting on the other, Virat Kohli with a weak team and should not captain anymore. Virat Kohli should now focus on batting and not on captaincy.
Also Read | The end of Virat Kohli's captaincy has begun
India's weak bowling strategy and lack of experienced bowlers
Four fast bowlers out of which Ishant Sharma does not get a single wicket in the first innings of England. The reason is clear why India lost the match by an innings. If anyone has had more success in Test cricket, it is Spinner. But in the current series, not having a bowler like Ashwin in the team would make it worse when your fast bowlers have failed. India had a chance to take a 2-0 lead if given a chance to Ashwin, who is one of the successful spinners of India.
India’s defeat in Leeds after Lord’s 151-run victory raised questions on his thinking. Where the series has now taken an exciting turn, will Ashwin return or will India land with the same team in the next match as well?
