England vs India 2018: No Indian Batter Improved Except Virat Kohli - Aakash Chopra

Former India batsman who now works as a broadcaster and a cricket analyst Aakash Chopra criticised Team India for yet another series loss in overseas conditions. However, he is the Virat Kohli has delivered according to the expectations as many faltered to contribute in Southampton Test.

India lost the fourth Test against England at the Ageas Bowl by 60 runs. They surrendered the series 3-1 with a match still to go. They were in control of the game for the significant part of the game.

However, they failed to seize the opportunities in crucial junctures of the game which led to their downfall.

India might take heart from the fact that they competed quite strongly in three of the four Tests played so far. However, there is no denying the fact that it is yet another series defeat for India outside subcontinental conditions.

Visitors again failed to do justice to their No. 1 Test ranking. India will be playing for pride in the fifth and the final Test at the Oval in London.

In all likelihood, India will be looking to make a few changes. A 3-2 result is always better than a 4-1 scoreline in favour of the English team.

Aakash Chopra draws conclusions after the fourth Test defeat against England

“You could take heart in the fact that India ran England really close in all the Tests except the one at Lord’s. India lost all the four tosses and competed on equal terms for the majority of every Test match. But failed to close the tight moment that defined the result,” he stated.

 “You can look back at the tour of South Africa and draw parallels, and perhaps, learn some valuable lessons. India had their moments there also, but just like this tour, they couldn’t cross the finish line there. India might not have been outplayed in most of the games, there’s no place to hide from the fact that India lost both the series,” he maintained in his column for Hindustan Times.

“While sticking with the first narrative will give hope and keep the flock upbeat, it won’t really initiate progress. After all, India drew a Test in South Africa and won a Test in England in 2014 too. Since those were the first tours to these places for most of these players, you could understand the results,” Chopra said.

However, Chopra feels India came into the series as the No. 1 team in the world.

On the other hand, England is a vulnerable side even in their home conditions. They have lost most number of Test matches in home conditions in the recent past. Hence it was a significant opportunity for India to win their first Test series in England since 2007.

“But on this tour, India travelled as the Number 1 Test side in the ICC Test rankings. And the current strength, or the lack of it, of their opponents, had presented a realistic possibility of winning a series. That’s why it’s prudent to spend more time on the second narrative, for that’ll put the team on the path of improvement,” he asserted.

“Players, especially the batsmen, tend to get better with age and experience. But it hasn’t really reflected in this year’s overseas performances thus far. Kohli is the only batsman who’s managed to upgrade his skills significantly, for the rest seemed to have either regressed or stagnated,” he stated.

In 2014, opening the innings was a problem, and unfortunately, it continues to be a problem in 2018.  it’s become a bigger worry with Vijay no longer a part of the Indian Test team. Rahul hasn’t scored a fifty in the last 12 overseas innings, and Dhawan’s returns aren’t too dissimilar, for he hasn’t crossed the fifty run mark in his eight overseas innings,” Chopra wrote in his column.

Aakash Chopra was critical of Hardik Pandya 

Meanwhile, Chopra was also critical of Hardik Pandya. He drew a comparison with Stuart Binny who was used as the seam bowling all-rounder back in 2014. Though he feels Hardik has done a bit better job than Stuart Binny. But still, he is not good enough to be a proper all-rounder in overseas conditions.

“In 2014, India toyed with Stuart Binny for the seam-bowling all-rounder slot. And while Hardik Pandya has done a little better than Binny, the slot is still nowhere close to getting filled properly. Despite his heroics in Nottingham, Pandya’s still the fourth seam-bowler. And not a batsman who fits into the top six of a Test team,” he remarked.

“If there’s a quantifiable improvement. It’s in the Indian bowling department, for they’ve dismissed the opposition twice in six out of the seven overseas Tests in 2018. While taking 20 wickets is essential to win Tests, that alone isn’t always enough, for India have lost four of the six Tests in which their bowlers took 20 wickets without conceding a mountain of runs,” Chopra further added.

India under the leadership of Virat Kohli will now look to play for pride in the fifth and the final Test. Moreover, Aakash Chopra expects a lot from his national team.

In all likelihood, they will bring in a few new faces. After a horrendous run in the series, KL Rahul might be dropped in favour of Prithvi Shaw. There is a possibility that Ravindra Jadeja also plays his first Test of the series in favour of Ravichandran Ashwin.