To be in the middle of everything!

With injured Virender Sehwag unavailable, the Indian middle-order could come under early pressure in England. Will it deliver?

By Abhishek Dinman

If cricket has a heart, it must be beating the loudest in England right now. In a sense, the wheel has come a full circle with India visiting England on the 40th anniversary of that astounding 1-0 series victory recorded by Ajit Wadekar’s men in Old Blighty.

The current four-Test series between India and England hinges on a few battles. The stakes are high as England (if they win by a two-Test margin) could either become world No. 1 or, India will reinforce their reputation as the best Test-playing nation in the world.

Much has been said about the utility of a solid opening pair and the effectiveness of a bowling attack that can use the seaming conditions to the hilt. But the selection of one Suresh Raina ahead of one Yuvraj Singh has clearly indicated the necessity of a batting line-up that runs deep and strong. It means the battle for supremacy pivots on the middle-order as much as on any other factors the pundits might profess.

History is replete with occasions when the middle-order has played decisive roles under English conditions. A few case studies will only re-emphasize the belief:

England vs Australia (Edgbaston), 2001, first Ashes Test: England had posted a decent 294 and were going along nicely with Australia down three for 134. It was anybody’s game until then. Not so after Damien Martyn (105), Steve Waugh (105) and Adam Gilchrist (152), Australia’s number 4, 5 and 6, took the match away from England’s reach. Australia posted 576. Interestingly, it was the failure of England’s middle order to respond that led to their defeat by an innings and 80 runs.

England vs Australia (Lord’s), 2005, first Ashes Test: England had bowled Australia out for 190 but were themselves skittled out for 155. Australia, who were world No. 1 then, grabbed the opportunity like all champion teams do and rode home on the back of their middle-order. Martyn, once again, struck 65 while Michael Clarke made 91 and Simon Katich 61.

Besides talent and experience, the key on both occasions was that the Aussie batsmen valued their wickets. They did not throw it away, a case that more often than not has been responsible for India’s undoing!

India can themselves take a leaf out of their own visit in 2002.

England vs India, 1st Test at Lord’s, 2002: After the hosts posted 487 in the first innings, India were going steady at 130 for three. It was a decent platform to work from. But the middle-order came a cropper and that led to a 170-run defeat.

No. 4 Sachin Tendulkar managed 16 and after Sourav Ganguly threw his wicket away after scoring 5, the rest surrendered like rabbits. VVS Laxman remained unbeaten on 43 but missed the support from the other end.

In the second innings too, number four and five flopped! The top-order gave India a head start (India 140 for three) but the middle-order sank. Tendulkar and Ganguly again made 12 and 0, respectively.

In a stunning turnaround, in the third Test at Leeds, India’s middle order rocked! Batting first, Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly (number 3, 4 and 5) struck 148, 193 and 128, respectively. The visitors did not have to come out to bat again, winning by an innings and 40 runs. Their contribution was so crucial that it saved India from losing the four-Test series.

It would be more relevant to analyse how Sri Lanka fared in their recently-concluded England tour. In the first Test at Cardiff, Lanka’s ‘deep’ middle-order proved to be just too shallow. Lanka started their second innings with a 96-run deficit. When resolve was the need of the hour, the batting failed. Sangakkara made 14 at number three, Mahela Jayawardene scored 15 at four, and Thilan Samaraweera made nought while Prasanna Jayawardene made three! The result was an innings and 18-run loss!

It is almost a no-brainer that the Indian middle-order will have to fire against England if the team desires to enjoy their status for a long time. Herein comes the justification of selecting an in-form man like Raina than opting for a flamboyant Yuvraj, because the only attitude that matters in the middle is how you play the moving ball under overcast conditions. Long live the Middle Order!