England vs India 2018: The Battle of the rear guards

Generally, the debate before the start of any Test series is how the batsman will fare against the bowlers. Especially in places like England, where the ball moves around viciously, this debate is even more intense. This series between India and England has been about bowlers facing bowlers or put in more sophisticated terms, the battle of the rear guards.

There have been phases when the batsmen of both teams have played well, but the all-rounders and bowlers have outshone them. In India’s case, it has been Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara amongst the runs up until the fourth Test. In England’s case though, the rear-guard action has been even more pronounced.

It was Sam Curran in the first and third Tests and Jos Buttler along with Stuart Broad in the fifth Test. Sam Curran came in twice when England’s score was about 90-odd with six wickets down. They should have got no more than 150, but in both matches, the tail wagged and pushed the score past 200.

The margin of defeat for India both at Birmingham and Southampton were 31 and 60 runs respectively. Had India been able to restrict the England tail, the results could have been very different.

For India though, the tail could never last. The minute India go five down, it was only a matter of time before they got bowled out. In the second innings at Birmingham, India were 112/5 but got bowled out for 162. Similarly, in the second innings at Southampton, India were 123/3 at one stage and there was a glimmer of hope for Indian fans, but that quickly disappeared when Kohli got out and India could add only 61 runs more before they got bowled out.

England cleaning up India's tail in a hurry

Consider the fifth Test being played at the Oval and once again it has been the battle of the lower order. England at one stage were reeling at 181/7, but Broad and Buttler forged a wonderful partnership and England made their way to 332 which definitely is an above par score on this wicket. India were on the backfoot as they had an opportunity to bowl England out for under 250 but couldn’t get the job done.

Come the Indian innings, and once again India found themselves in a familiar position at 160/6. It seemed that England would get a huge lead and take control of the match. For once though, the Indian lower order fired. At Southampton, it was Pujara’s 132 that got India close to England’s first innings score.

But in the 5th Test, it has been the middle and lower order batsmen sticking it out for India. It was at first, the debutant Hanuma Vihari and Ravindra Jadeja, who got together and stitched a 77-run partnership. It’s then been a show between Jasprit Bumrah’s immaculate defense and Jadeja’s controlled aggression. This is probably the first time in the series that India’s tail has matched that of England. What could have been a huge lead for England, is now a slender 40 runs and India is definitely back into the match.

The way the series has gone, this Test match also could very well go down the wire and it could all be once again a battle of the rear guards in the second innings.