For the current set of India and Australia batters, any mention of their having played Tests in England can evoke joy and trepidation. Virat Kohli scored 593 runs at an average of 59.3 in 2018, but he also averaged 13.4 across five Tests in 2014. Steve Smith amassed Bradmanesque numbers in 2019 – 774 runs at 110.57 in four Tests – but he was also part of a unit that was rolled over for 60 in 2015. Cheteshwar Pujara dug
For the current set of India and Australia batters, any mention of their having played Tests in England can evoke joy and trepidation. Virat Kohli scored 593 runs at an average of 59.3 in 2018, but he also averaged 13.4 across five Tests in 2014. Steve Smith amassed Bradmanesque numbers in 2019 – 774 runs at 110.57 in four Tests – but he was also part of a unit that was rolled over for 60 in 2015. Cheteshwar Pujara dug in for almost six hours to make an unbeaten 132 in Southampton in 2018, but he also endured a stretch where his highest score in nine innings was 24.
These swings are common in England. While the amount of grass on the pitch has a perceptible impact, overhead conditions also have an influence on the balance between bat and ball. When it’s sunny, batting can seem comfortable and convenient. Under grey skies, though there’s no proven correlation between swing and atmospheric conditions, the ball can jag around and cause the batter all sorts of problems.
It’s these uncertainties that are likely to keep India and Australia’s batters on tenterhooks as they amp up preparations for the World Test Championship final starting at The Oval in London on Wednesday. Playing this one-off Test on neutral ground, in England, arguably puts both teams at a disadvantage. While Indian batters are increasingly comfortable against the pace and bounce of Australian pitches, it is deviation in the air that causes the panic button to be pressed. Likewise for the Australians, who have gone fishing outside off-stump and suffered on recent tours of England.
Their record in England largely vindicates this assessment. Among the batters who have played at least ten innings there, Smith is an exception with an average of 59.55 in 30 innings. Marnus Labuschagne averages 50.42 so far, but a sample size of seven innings is too little to make a conclusive assessment. The rest have experienced more agony than ecstasy in England.
Sample David Warner’s career. He has 8,158 runs in 103 Tests, but only 651 runs have come in 13 Tests and 25 innings in England, with no century. His shortcomings were brutally exposed in the 2019 Ashes, when Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer took turns to dismiss him in that outside off-stump channel.
Kohli too has been a victim of that probing line. In 2014, a leave to a ball outside off-stump that came in and hit the stumps seemed to shroud his judgment, triggering a series of caught-behind dismissals in the remaining Tests. He took the challenge on gamely in 2018, digging deep and showing mental fortitude to thwart the James Anderson-led attack.
Having regained his voracious run-scoring appetite in recent months, Kohli will hold the key. So will Rohit Sharma, India’s top run-getter on the 2021 England tour. Having had his struggles in Test cricket, Sharma was able to put all that baggage behind him, focusing on leaving as much as possible, playing closer to his body and cutting out expansive drives.
“Yes, you got to change a fair bit. When the ball is moving, when it is doing a bit, there are a lot of technical aspects of your game that you need to bring in as an opener,” he had then said. “Playing in these conditions is never easy, but you always challenge yourself as a batter to go out and perform when the conditions are challenging; that is something I am trying to do. I have made some changes in my technique as well. I am not trying to move too much in the crease – trying to stay as still as possible and keeping the bat closer to the body.”
Sharma’s words should be heeded. After all, barring Smith he is the only batter from either side to average above 40 (minimum 10 innings) in England.
While all the forewarnings about testing batting conditions in England are legitimate, the venue of the WTC final may offer some comfort for the batters. The Oval, in southern London, has historically been one of the more batting-friendly venues in England. Its characteristics haven’t changed in the last five years. Among the marquee Test venues in England, the average degree of swing and seam is the lowest here.
Which is why Smith, in line with his overall record in England, has displayed utter dominance at The Oval. In three Tests, he has tallied 391 runs (avg 97.75) with a top score of 143.
But again, the timing of this Test — as opposed to September when the ground usually plays host — and forecast for cloudy weather in London next week may influence proceedings. It should all make for a fascinating contest, with the batting unit that shows greater discipline and diligence likely to end up on the winning side.
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