England v India: tourists’s rude awakening in series defeat
The fear stalking India is this Test series has provided a glimpse of the future, a time when the country cannot rely forever on the bats of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.
Both were unlucky in the second innings at Edgbaston, Dravid out off his bootlaces and Tendulkar run out backing up, but it is the progress of the next generation that is of greater concern.
England quickly sussed Suresh Raina’s shortcomings and he has not made runs since the second innings of the first Test. Abhinav Mukund has come and gone, Yuvraj Singh looked as if he couldn’t wait to get out of the firing line of England’s quicks and Virat Kohli arrives in this country and in contention to play at the Oval having struggled against the short ball against the West Indies last month.
Watching all this very closely is Duncan Fletcher. “I’m trying to settle in and see characters of individuals,” he said at Edgbaston. “I am especially looking at the young guys and trying to assess if they have character to handle Test cricket.
Those close to Fletcher say he is relaxed and enjoying working with MS Dhoni even if the Indian captain chooses to ignore bowling plans and act on whims.
But Fletcher’s challenge, and the one facing Dhoni, is to move this team forward with the knowledge regaining the No 1 spot from England could take a long time, a fact acknowledged by a string of former captains on Sunday.
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