Test cricket is all about scoreboard pressure. When you put 500+ on the board, even average spinners can make impact. This match was lost when England batted for two days.
The absence of Jadeja hurt India big time and Root completely tamed Ashwin.
The Indian batting is not to be blamed for this defeat. In fact, no one is. The focus should be on how well England played, rather than how India did.
Kohli’s India is the GOAT Asian Test team. They have nothing to prove to anymore. However, that doesn’t mean they cannot lose.
The focus should be on England right now not India.
Yes, the only reason India lost this match was due to the nature of the pitch they opted for and the lack of pressure they created on England in the first innings.
The absence of Jadeja also created a void on the team for an all-rounder who was prolific with both bat and ball.
You see, unlike Nadeem, Jadeja would have controlled the run-rate and bowled in tandem with Ashwin. The two have a spectacular bowling partnership, and when one takes wickets, the other does too. Not having a spinner who can competently use the angle to spin the ball away from a right-hander's blade was the difference.
The issue with the pitch was that making a pitch like this, which starts out flatter than a road and then gives way to vicious spin works depending on two factors: The ability to bundle the opposition out if they bat first, and the quality of the spinners on the team.
England took their time and scored big, because buying time on a wicket like this meant that they'd eventually push past the initial new ball threat. The ball deteriorated severely, and the ball wasn't spinning too much, which allowed Root, Sibley, and Stokes to capitalize on these opportunities and score big. Sibley batted extremely slowly at first, and was able to cash in on a batting paradise. Similarly, Root played spin incredibly well, and was able to apply pressure on the weak links in the spin attack, being Nadeem and Sundar.
What India need to do now is fiddle with the team combination, and determine what type of pitch will make it easier to beat England. Either make it fully flat and bowl them out, or make it a dust bowl from the get-go. There is also an option of a green top, but Anderson might be too lethal on that type of surface. The choice of the pitch needs to be precise, and so must the squad selected. Nadeem doesn't merit a spot as a bowler, go with Kuldeep as he'll extract more turn and will always keep the slips in play because he possesses a potent googly.
This thread talking about being humiliated would be fine if it were coming from a team of some quality performances, but you don't even have to go as far as the Sri Lanka series (albeit the excuse would be home away from home), how can we not even hammer Zimbabwe convincingly in ODIs at home? That's a real question to ask before criticizing another team. Sharing viewpoints is fine, but calling out a team that's far superior than ours shouldn't really happen unless we become a better team. Having opinions is fine, but some people need to understand that India losing just means that the challenge of us beating England in Pakistan is far greater.
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