CHENNAI: After struggling against Joe Root and Mooen Ali a day earlier, India looked to have done their homework, when play resumed on Day 2. The strategy was to have R Ashwin bowl from the pavilion end and a fast bowler trying the short stuff from the other.
This hot and cold treatment worked, albeit shortly. After dominating the first session when they bagged four wickets, India let England off the hook. An eighth-wicket stand added 108, 100 came off 32 overs in the second session and England ended up getting 477.
“It was difficult to bowl on this track because the ball wasn’t turning that much, like a typical Chennai wicket. We tried our best but it wasn’t helping spinners. That’s why we conceded so many in the second session and let the momentum slip,” said Umesh Yadav.
Initially, England fell to India’s plans, as Ashwin struck a vital blow in the very first over. Giving the ball air, combined with subtle turn, he was testing the foot work of the visitors. Ben Stokes went forward to one that pitched on the seam and moved away. The left-hander failed to read the turn and edged a simple one behind the stumps.
Ishant Sharma was all fire and brimstone at the other end. He kept it short to a well-settled Mooen, inducing him to the hook shot. To the rest he bowled a fuller length. The strategy worked when Jos Buttler was trapped in front.
Mooen was watchful, sure of his defence and chose the right ball to attack. But having carefully negotiated the short stuff from Ishant, he was done in by the change of pace of Umesh. The mis-timed pull was taken brilliantly by Ravindra Jadeja at mid-wicket.
Asked why the short-ball trap was not tried against Moeen earlier, Umesh said it was a matter of momentum. “Yesterday the fast bowlers didn’t bowl that much. Today we spoke to the captain and coaches, made this plan and decided that we will make Moeen play all the balls. We wanted to bowl to his left shoulder and he got out.”
Instead of tightening the screws after getting Moeen, India went without another wicket for more than 40 overs. Adil Rashid after a tentative start was on song and picked Jadeja and Amit Mishra for special treatment. Both erred in line and length. Ashwin too couldn’t make any difference despite bowling over and around the wicket.
Rashid and debutant Liam Dawson were solid in defence and chose the right ball to hit. Dawson was compact and getting well within the line of ball, rarely looked troubled.
Rashid fell when his intended steer off a short ball from Umesh was caught behind the stumps. By then, they had taken England to a strong position. Umesh was hopeful India can turn things around. “If we bat long, obviously we will try to bowl them out in the next innings.”