Five things we learned from India-England Test series

Sport360 staff 12:00 22/12/2016
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  • What did you learn from the series?

    After the Test series between India and England, we look at five things that really stood out from the numerous storylines.

    From the continued disputes over DRS to the brilliance of Virat Kohli and pressure Alastair Cook faces, there was plenty to take stock of.

    What stood out for you the most in the series and what do you think will happen to both teams in 2017?

    We want to hear from you so have your say by commenting below, using #360fans on Twitter or getting in touch via Facebook.

    KING KOHLI REIGNS SUPREME

    There’s no stopping Virat Kohli the batsman… or Virat Kohli the skipper. The 28-year-old achieved new highs in 2016 with five successive series wins as captain and three double centuries, making him the undisputed superstar of world cricket. He hit a majestic 235 in the fourth Test in Mumbai to pass 1,000 runs in Test cricket for the year. It followed 167 in the second Test in Visakhapatnam and he finished as the series top-scorer with 655 runs.

    CAPTAIN COOK NEARS EXIT

    Alastair Cook fuelled doubts about his future as England captain before the first Test when he said he was finding it hard to be away from his family. Nevertheless he scored a trademark 130 in the draw in Rajkot, but things quickly deteriorated and his tactics were criticised following defeats in the next two Tests. When England relinquished the series with an innings and 36-run defeat in Mumbai, the clamour grew for him to step aside and let vice-captain Joe Root take charge.

    RUNS NO PROBLEM FOR INDIA

    While Kohli’s form has been outstanding, he also has the luxury of knowing that on the rare occasion he does fail, others will stand up. Kohli made just 15 in Chennai, but Karun Nair, playing in just his third Test, smashed an astonishing unbeaten 303 while KL Rahul fell just one short of a double century. Also contributing was the lower order, with Ravichandran Ashwin averaging 43.71 batting at seven, while Ravindra Jadeja made 90 in Mohali and Jayant Yadav 104 in Mumbai.

    ENGLAND CAN CLING TO YOUNG HOPE

    Amidst the carnage, England did discover promising new batting talent for the top of the order in 19-year-old Haseeb Hameed and South African-born Keaton Jennings. Both impressed, with Hameed making 31 and 82 on debut and 24-year-old Jennings 112 in his maiden Test knock after replacing the injured teenager. If Hameed becomes Cook’s regular opening partner for England, Jennings could slot in at No3 and Root can then play in his preferred No4 slot.

    MORE HEAT OVER DRS

    The Decision Review System (DRS) technology made its debut in India after the home side resisted its use for years. However, it was far from perfect with the technology used in India lacking a crucial component seen elsewhere – the use of thermal imaging. The ‘Hot Spot’ technology was unavailable in India due to logistical issues. So while Kohli gave it a big thumbs-up, DRS still needs to be applied uniformly across the game’s arenas.

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