India suffered an embarrassing innings and 159-run defeat in the second Test against England after yet another batting failure on day four at Lord’s, leaving the visitors 2-0 behind in the five-match series.
Indian batsmen failed to learn from their mistakes as the second innings folded up for 130 in 47 overs. James Anderson once again toyed with the opposition, taking his match tally to nine with Stuart Broad being equally effective.
However, it even before the start of the match, team management got wrong with the selection of the playing XI, that proved fatal in the end!
It was gloomy, rainy and they had already lost a day’s play when they went for the toss and India still picked two spinners. Despite the first day being washed out, India still changed the balance of their side by leaving out Umesh Yadav and bringing in left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav. The absence of a third frontline seamer was clear when they couldn’t keep the pressure on England when they reduced them to 89 for 4 and 131 for 5 on the third day to threaten a fightback having been skittled for 107.
Dinesh Karthik once again proved that he doesn’t belongs to the rest cricket especially outside Asia and put a horror show with both bat and gloves.
And we would never know why R Ashwin, whose natural fluidity in batting that allows him to unfurl his hands smoothly and play swing better than most in this team isn’t promoted ahead of Pandya and Kartik.
It’s perhaps the same muddled thinking that led to selecting two spinners in such English conditions.
