India's batsmen vs England bowlers - who has the edge?

Alex Broun 22:14 31/07/2018
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  • India v Engalnd : bat v ball.

    These are the contests that will decide the eagerly awaited England v India Test series.

    The India top order vs the England strike bowlers. But who has the edge?

    We looked at three key contests:

    Virat Kohli vs James Anderson

    This will be one of the key battles of the Test series as the No1 Indian batsmen takes on the No1 England bowler.

    It’s been a fairly even contest between these two stretching back to 2012. In that series in India, Anderson kept Kohli pretty quiet, conceding just 23 runs off 81 balls, but he also only got him out just once – caught in the slips by Graeme Swann for six in the third Test.

    In 2014 Anderson completely dominated the Indian captain dismissing him with late out swingers four times for just 19 runs at a meagre average of 4.75.

    Showing how much the England paceman was in charge that series, Anderson only took on average 12.5 balls to dismiss Kohli, getting him edging each time – once caught behind, once at second slip and twice by Alastair Cook at first slip.

    But in 2016 in India Kohli had the last laugh taking Anderson for 69 runs off 112 balls faced at a respectable strike rate of 45.68.

    Who will come out on top this time?

    Virat Kohli v James Anderson

    Ajinkya Rahane v Stuart Broad

    This is another duo dominated again by the England bowler.

    In 2014 in England, Broad was in charge, restricting Rahane to just 41 runs off 139 balls at a humble strike rate of 29.5, while dismissing him three times at an average of just 13.6.

    It may have taken Broad a while to get Rahane, an average of 46.3 balls per wicket, but he still picked him up cheaply – twice caught by keeper Matt Prior and a screamer at third slip by Gary Balance in the fifth test.

    It was the same story in India in 2016 with the right hand opener enduring a nightmare series where he scored just 63 runs from five innings at an average of 12.6.

    His contest with Broad reflected that with the England man conceding just 5 runs off 15 balls for one dismissal – caught by Cook at first slip in the second Test.

    If India are to be competitive in this series Rahane must deal with Broad better.

    31 07 Rahane v Broad

    Cheteshwar Pujara v Ben Stokes

    This is one India wins comfortably and they will look forward to the England all-rounder coming on while Pujara is at the crease.

    In England in 2014 the Indian opener took Stokes for 50 runs at a healthy run-rate of 53.2 for just one dismissal – bowled middle stump in the second Test from a ball that nipped back from outside off.

    It got a little better for Stokes in India two years ago when he conceded 69 runs, including 12 boundaries, at a strike rate of 60 but managed to dismiss the right hander twice – taking 57.5 balls each time at an average of 34.5.

    The first came in the First Test in Rajkot when Stokes had him caught at slip by Cook after he had complied a 206-ball 124.

    Stokes got him exactly the same way in the Fifth Test in Chennai but this time for just 16.31 07 Pujara v Stokes

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