Tale of two tails and other areas where Lord's Test will be won or lost for England and India

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  • England have quality in their tail in the form of Sam Curran.

    After a momentous battle at Edgbaston, England and India are ready to lock horns once again in what promises to be another enthralling tussle at Lord’s.

    The hosts have their noses in front in the five-match series after their 31-run win at Birmingham and the stakes will be as high as they can be when the action turns to the ‘home of cricket’.

    There was little to separate the two sides in the first Test and the margins at Lord’s will be fine once again. Here, we look at the key areas where the Lord’s Test could be won or lost.

    UP THE ANTE WITH MORE SPIN

    Both teams went in with a lone spinner in the first Test. While England used Adil Rashid more as a relief option as they banked on their strengths in the pace department, India used Ravichandran Ashwin as an attacking option from the get-go.

    Ashwin’s excellent showing in both innings will tempt the Indian team management to go with an extra spinner. The unprecedented heatwave continues to rage on in the UK and with the possibility of the pitch being drier than usual, a two-man spin attack seems almost a no-brainer for the visitors.

    They have the tried and tested option of Ravindra Jadeja to fall upon along with Kuldeep Yadav who still retains a hint of mystery. England’s familiar failings against spin were visible against Ashwin’s artistry at Edgbaston and should Virat Kohli choose to double down on spinners, India could have a massive edge over the hosts.

    Kuldeep Yadav could give India the edge in the spin department.

    Kuldeep Yadav could give India the edge in the spin department.

    DIFFERENCE IN THE TAILS

    The outcome of the first Test could have been much different had Sam Curran not made a blinder of a knock for England in the second innings. England’s mantra in the Test arena has been to ‘bat deep’ since Trevor Bayliss took charge and they will have this going in their favour when the two teams arrive at Lord’s.

    Rashid, Curran and Chris Woakes are all handy with the bat and will ensure that England  have quality batsmen until as low as the number nine spot. India, on the other hand, do not have that luxury. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s injury has been a big loss in this regard with India’s tail starting from number eight. That might change should Kohli include Jadeja as the second spinner on Thursday but should Kuldeep play, the tail will remain a long one.

    With batsmen from both sides struggling against the moving ball so far, runs from the two respective tails could be game-changing once again and it is England who have the advantage here.

    England have more batting quality in their tail.

    England have more batting quality in their tail.

    DEPENDABLE BATSMEN

    Batsmen from both teams failed to cover themselves in glory at Edgbaston and they will be under the spotlight in London. For India, it was a one-man show from skipper Kohli who accounted for 200 of his side’s 414 runs in total. For England, it was Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow who shone before Curran’s heroics in the second innings.

    While Kohli looks poised for a monster series and Root remains as dependable as ever despite his conversion woes, the onus is on rest of the batsmen from both sides to step up. India will be hoping that senior batsmen like Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane can give them that lift. The hosts, meanwhile, will want Alastair Cook and Jos Buttler to come to the party given that 20-year-old Ollie Pope will be playing in his first Test.

    There is not much to choose between the batting departments of both sides at the moment and this battle will be decided by who turns up on the day.

    Rahane and Vijay will be key for India in the batting department.

    Rahane and Vijay will be key for India in the batting department.

    PACE

    England’s pacers clearly outshone India at Edgbaston despite Ishant Sharma’s superb spell in the second innings. The hosts’ trio of  Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes had India’s batsmen under the pump throughout the Test with no breathing room being afforded to the visitors.

    In contrast, India’s pacers were guilty of spraying the ball around too often and in turn, wasting the excellent conditions on offer. When they did get it right, like Ishant in the second innings, they had the English batsmen hopping and jumping. However, it was little compared to what England’s pacers showed.

    With Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of the second Test too, India will probably field Ishant and Mohammed Shami as their designated pacers with Hardik Pandya continuing as the seaming all-rounder.

    For England, Stokes’s absence due to his trial is a bitter blow and a fit-again Woakes has quite the responsibility on his shoulders to ensure the side do not miss the star’s services with the ball.

    Still, Anderson and Broad seems a more formidable pairing than Ishant and Shami at the moment and it’s the hosts who will have the slight advantage in this department.

    Anderson and Broad give England the edge in the pace department.

    Anderson and Broad give England the edge in the pace department.

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