England Crushed in India as Spineless Batting Hands Hosts 4-1 Series Win
England’s tour of India ended in a whimper on Saturday as their brittle top-order batting capitulated once again, handing India a crushing victory by an innings and 64 runs inside three days in the fifth and final Test.
Chasing a modest target of 259 to make India bat again, England were skittled out for a mere 195, their second batting woeful collapse in as many matches.
The blame for this latest defeat lies squarely with the batsmen, who, with the exception of a defiant Joe Root (84), displayed a complete lack of application against India’s spin attack.
This comprehensive victory secures a dominant 4-1 series win for India, extending their remarkable home record to 17 consecutive victories stretching back to 2012.
England’s capitulation overshadowed a landmark achievement for veteran pacer James Anderson earlier in the day. He dismissed Kuldeep Yadav to become the first fast bowler to reach the coveted milestone of 700 Test wickets.
India, resuming on 462-7, added another 15 runs before Shoaib Bashir completed his second five-wicket haul of the match to restrict them to 477. Presented with a good batting surface and a manageable chase, England’s primary objective was to bat through the third day and take the game into the final innings.
However, their batting woes continued. Openers Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope fell to reckless strokes, while Zak Crawley offered a soft dismissal at leg slip.
Skipper Ben Stokes’ defense was unconvincing, and Ben Foakes was dismissed attempting a slog sweep. Jonny Bairstow, the lone bright spark, smashed a quickfire 39 before being trapped lbw by Kuldeep.
Root, batting with commendable grit, emerged as the only batsman who showed any fight, but his efforts were in vain as England slumped to a one-sided defeat within eight sessions of play.
This result marks England’s first series defeat under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. More worryingly, it’s their seventh loss in their last 12 Tests, capping off a disappointing winter across formats that also included a feeble defense of the 50-over World Cup.
While a thrilling win in the first Test at Hyderabad offered early promise, the tour steadily unraveled, culminating in this abject display. India’s dominance at home was simply too much to overcome.
There are, however, some mitigating factors for England. The absence of key players like Harry Brook for the entire series and Jack Leach for most of it hampered their performance. The emergence of young spinners Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley offers a glimmer of hope for the future.
However, England’s batting woes require immediate attention. Decisions regarding the futures of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes need to be made, while the pace attack needs reinforcements for the upcoming home season.
As England enters the second half of what is expected to be a four-year tenure under Stokes and McCullum, the honeymoon period seems to be over. Their commitment to an attacking brand of cricket is commendable, but it’s high time they find a way to translate that into consistent results.
