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India vs England: Test defeats a wake-up call for under-prepared India, says Dean Jones
It indeed had a been a miserable show from the top-order given that in the past five matches, barring Virat Kohli who averages 52.60, the rest have even managed to go past 20.
Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones said the Indian’s team current debacle in England should be an eye opener for Virat Kohli’s ahead of the 2019 World Cup in UK where they might opt to play a few extra practice games to get accustomed to the conditions.
Having lost the first two Tests, India face a daunting task to make a comeback in the five-match series. Jones, who has an impressive batting average of 70.75 in his six Tests in England, stated: “Maybe they (India) needed this before a World Cup coming up. Maybe a couple of more practice matches before the World Cup in England… Maybe prepare a bit better?”
India had also lost the preceding three-match ODI series and although the World Cup is still nine months away, the side has been caught napping in seaming conditions. While bowlers have gone about their task well, picking 87 of the last possible 90 wickets in the past five Tests against South Africa and England, the side’s average total in those matches is a meagre 188.7 — having been dismissed for less than 200 on six occasions.
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“The stats prove that the ball moved in this Test match more than any other Test match in the last three years anywhere in the world. And you have two-three of the best persons going around. Especially (James) Anderson. Unfortunately, they walked into a storm. And they just couldn’t get out of it,” Jones on the sidelines of a Star Sports event in Mumbai.
It indeed had a been a miserable show from the top-order given that in the past five matches, barring Virat Kohli who averages 52.60, the rest have even managed to go past 20. While Kohli notched two centuries and two half-centuries, only Cheteshwar Pujara has managed to register a 50-plus score in these matches. India’s opening pair have also managed to produce just one 50-run partnership.
However, despite those figures, Jones backed the Indian side as a “fantastic unit” and pipped them to bounce back and do well.
“One bad game doesn’t make it a bad side. Not at all,” he said. I’d like to have your team compared to our team at the moment. I personally feel you’ll belt Australia in Australia. No (David) Warner, no (Steve) Smith. Who’s going to make runs against you? I’m expecting Ravichandran (Ashwin) to run through us.”
India are scheduled to play three T20 internationaIs, four Tests and three ODIs in Australia later this year.
