3 takeaways from Team India’s loss to England in the Birmingham Test

Team India went down to England by seven wickets in the fifth Test of the five-match series in Birmingham on Tuesday (July 5). The visitors were 2-1 up after four Tests last year when the last match was canceled due to COVID-19.

Heading into the rescheduled Test, India had a great chance of clinching their first Test series win in England since 2007. Even a draw would have been enough to secure a series victory. India dominated the Birmingham Test for a majority of the first three days. However, they slipped badly on Day 4 and England made them pay dearly.

Although England needed to pull off their highest-ever chase in Test history (378), they got home without any trouble. India, meanwhile, were left wondering how the game, which seemed firmly in their grasp, slipped away.

With India going down to England by seven wickets in the Birmingham Test, let’s analyze three big talking points from the match.

---

#1 Indian batters’ complacency on Day 4 cost the team

Shreyas Iyer was out to the short ball in both innings. Pic: Getty Images

When Team India reflect on their loss, they will look back at the period of play on Day 4 when they gifted away their wickets and, with it, the momentum as well. The visitors began the day in complete command of the proceedings. They had a significant 257-run lead with seven wickets in hand.

All India had to do was play sensibly and bat England out of the contest. Instead, they got complacent and gave away their wickets quite easily to allow the hosts back into the game. Cheteshwar Pujara (66) played a cut short that went straight to backward point, Rishabh Pant’s (57) attempted reverse-sweep ended as a simple catch to slip. Shreyas Iyer’s (19) dismissal was all too familiar - he completely miscued a short ball.

India lost their last seven wickets for merely 92 runs to fold up for 245 in their second innings. Although they still set England a stiff 378-run target, it was far from enough for a confident batting unit.

Of course, bowlers also need to be questioned over their inability to defend a target of 378. However, as both batting coach Vikram Rathour and captain Jasprit Bumrah admitted, it was the batting that let the game slip after India were in firm control.

---

#2 What will India do with Virat Kohli?

Virat Kohli had another poor match. Pic: Getty Images

Virat Kohli’s batting form becoming a talking point before and after each match doesn’t augur well for either him or Indian cricket. Kohli and the think tank may keep harping that they don’t bother about “outside noise”. But what about their inner conscience? For how long will Indian cricket hide from the brutal truth that there is a serious problem with Kohli’s batting?

And no it’s not just about form. It’s also about the 33-year-old's muddled mindset, which seems to make him do bizarre things. Yes, he got an excellent delivery from Ben Stokes in the second innings, about which he could do very little. But his dismissal in the first innings, unsure of whether to play or leave a ball outside off stump, gives a fairer indication of the kind of predicament Kohli is going through.

Something similar happened in the IPL earlier this year when he registered three golden ducks. Kohli got out playing some incomprehensible shots. It was almost as if he was mentally not quite there. Even his verbal volleys in the field backfired as a determined Jonny Bairstow made an emphatic statement. He dropped a catch as well, though it did not hurt India.

All said and done, almost everything that could go wrong with Kohli went wrong in Birmingham. The big question that nobody in Indian cricket wants to answer remains - what will India do with Kohli?

---

#3 Never write off this England side

Jonny Bairstow scored hundreds in both innings. Pic: Getty Images

When England were bowled out for 284 in their first innings, responding to India’s first-innings total of 416, there was plenty of criticism about their approach. Some critics also questioned whether the “Bazball” theory that did wonders against New Zealand would work against a supposedly superior Indian team. The seven-wicket win in Birmingham pretty much answers that question.

The Joe Root-led England team would have looked to survive on Day 4 and 5 after being set a target of close to 380. Instead, the team captained by Ben Stokes decided to transfer the pressure back on the Indian side, irrespective of the fact that they were the ones who had to chase down a record total. The aggressive start given by Alex Lees and Zak Crawley went a long way in easing the pressure on Joe Root and Bairstow.

To be fair, England won the match by playing proper Test cricket. Except for the period when Kohli riled up Bairstow and the batter went hammer and tongs, the hosts were content playing in normal mode. It was just that the quality of batting in their second innings was so high, Team India were blown away.

With their spectacular win in Birmingham, coming on the back of a 3-0 triumph over New Zealand, England are sending a strong message to their Test opponents - never write them off!

---