India's deficiencies against swing problematic ahead of overseas tours

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  • Virat Kohli and co have not looked comfortable against swing.

    As India battle it out with Sri Lanka in the opening Test, all the talk before the series started was the preparation for the upcoming tour of South Africa at the end of the year.

    India skipper Virat Kohli spoke about the need for the islanders to make the hosts ‘uncomfortable’ in the three-match series.

    While Sri Lanka stood at the door, attention had already been drawn towards the South African tour. Having already whitewashed the islanders at their own backyards two months earlier, not much of a challenge was expected from Dinesh Chandimal’s men.

    Deputy skipper Ajinkya Rahane was at pains to explain that the focus was on Sri Lanka and not the Proteas at the pre-match press conference in Kolkata.

    While India have been steady at the top of the ICC Test rankings for some time now, their ascendancy to the summit has been fuelled by dominant performances at home. For the most part in the past two years, India’s calendar has been dotted with home series one after another and to be fair to Virat Kohli’s men, they have passed with flying colours at each and every hurdle.

    India have been on a roll in the Test format in the past two years.

    India have been on a roll in the Test format in the past two years.

    Series wins against the likes of Australia, New Zealand, England and Bangladesh have shown India to be almost invincible at home. The string of victories at home has been dotted with away series victories against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.

    All along their home supremacy, India have been faced with the question of whether they can repeat the trick on their overseas travails. Even Kohli himself has spoken about the need to replicate their success abroad to be considered a truly great team.

    2018 promises to put India to the test with tough away tours lined up against the ‘Big Three’ – South Africa, England and Australia. Their batsmen have kept piling on the runs in the home stretch but the seaming and swinging wickets the likes of South Africa will produce will pose a very different examination.

    However, based on what little cricket we have seen in the opening two days of the Kolkata Test, Kohli and his men look suspect as ever against the moving ball. On a re-laid Eden Gardens pitch which has seen heavy rainfall over the past few days, Sri Lanka’s seamers made the hosts’ batsmen dance to their tune.

    The inadequacies against swing were exposed as Suranga Lakmal ran through India’s top-order on day one with the pitch aiding prodigious movement off the seam.

    The likes of Rabada and Philander will pose a much greater threat.

    The likes of Rabada and Philander will pose a much greater threat.

    Only Cheteshwar Pujara has come away with any credit after a disastrous start for India which saw them reduced to 74-5. Bar Pujara, every batsmen has seemed tentative against the moving ball.

    The lack of application against swing does not bode well for the upcoming overseas stretch and the South African pacers will silently be licking their lips in delight. With a pace quartet of Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel set to greet them upon their arrival, India’s batsmen have their work cut out for them.

    Playing on dust bowls and flat roads have ingrained a false sense of immunity among the batsmen which will soon need to be ironed out. Though the state of the pitch might have come about due to adverse weather conditions, it does provide the hosts with the perfect opportunity to test their mettle against swing.

    The majority of previous Indian teams have fallen victim to the habit of being tigers at home while being notoriously poor travelers. That perception needs to change and until and unless Kohli’s men can weed out their deficiencies against swing, 2018 could prove to be a long year for India.

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