Test Match Cricket: Ashwin and Jadeja ensure 4-0 series victory for Virat Kohli

Virat bags Test Match Series thanks to Ashwin & Co

Ashwin and Jadeja ensure Virat Kohli is a satisfied man as India’s Test Cricket Captain. He ends 2016 on a happy note, having led India to one away Series Victory (against the WI) and two series victories at home against the New Zealand and the English Teams.

Pat for the Bat

The retirement of batting greats like Sehwag, Sachin, Saurav, Dravid, Laxman generated

some apprehension. But the next generation of India’s batsmen are putting all fears to rest. Led by Virat Kolhi himself (for whom Captaincy seems a symbiotic stimulant), this team boasts of a deep line-up. What is also very encouraging is that the tail-enders contribute a bit. When bowlers score with averages like Ashwin and Jadeja in the recent series, it bolsters the batting. Ashwin has batted against England with 300+ runs aggregate,  40+ average and a 50+ Strike rate. Likewise, Jadeja’s numbers are 200+, 35+ and 60+. With fewer innings (and a century that may skew averages), new find, Jayant Yadav has scored 221 runs, with an average of 73 and a strike rate of 45.live streaming film The Wolf of Wall Street 2013 online

Bowling not just the Maidens over!

In a typical Test Match (not always), the game is won only if the 20 wickets of the opposition are in the bag across both innings. Hence it is the bowlers more primarily who contribute to your victory. In the four tests that India has won vs England, we have seen only three run outs of the English batsmen. Hence in the four matches that has seen India consuming 80 England batsmen, bowlers have picked up 77 victims.

Of these, J. Yadhav has picked up 9 and Mohammed Shami 8. Of the balance 60 wickets, in these four matches, Ashwin and Jadeja have taken 53. Undoubtedly they have been the difference between the two teams along with aggressive captaincy.

Cool Chilli’s Views

Virat and his team are creating magic. If properly nurtured, Indians could be as dominating as the Australians or the Windies once were. But we need bowlers who can take 20 wickets in each match. Our current spinners need no further mention. They are good to go for the next few years.

We have been talking about encouraging seamers and pacers but we don’t seem to encourage fresh talent enough. Ishant Sharma has picked up 200+ wickets and therefore is not too bad. His best Test Match days are in most probably over. On Indian pitches not much could have been expected from him too. There is no reason to keep playing him just to take the shine off the ball, when he is not absolutely needed.

Pipeline For ‘Faster Wicket Delivery’ to Support Ashwin & Co

Quickies like Ishant do much better when young, unless they consciously groom themselves to leverage their resources and ‘think batsmen out’.   Umesh and Shami are useful to have no doubt, but we need to groom fresher limbs too. On his day, Shami can potentially be a match winner. If figures are any indication and his body permits  him, he may well hope to emulate Kapil Dev in bowling. His strike rate (balls needed for a wicket) is much closer to Glenn Mcgrath’s than his own countrymen’s are to his. We are talking about quickies here. (Ashwin’s is a shade better than Mcgrath’s.)

We need to groom a few youngsters preferably in their late teens and early twenties who can learn and take over from Shami and Yadav. Else we may continue depending on spinners even on foreign soil. Much has been written on this topic by various minds. Hopefully we will see something on the Test Match Stage sooner than later. With increasing popularity of football and other sports in general, able bodied youth may hear a calling different to pace bowling.

The imbroglio the BCCI has put itself in, is also not good for the sport. Attention is best devoted to the cricket pitch rather than being diverted to dissuade courts.

Related Statistics

All Stats courtesy howstat.com

(Glenn Mcgrath needed 8.7 overs for a wicket)

Jadeja’s bowling across Test Matches

Mohammed Shami’s bowling Stats across Test Matches

Ishant’s bowling Stats across Test Matches

Ashwin’s Bowling