“We know we are playing 13 Tests (at home). This first Test (in Kanpur) will be very crucial. It will set the tone for the rest of the season.”
Ajinkya Rahane’s words on Sunday left no room for doubt regarding how India would approach the inaugural game of this home season. The mood is expectant, with hope and confidence, bullish even given how well the team has done in its last three Test series. Sri Lanka were beaten in their backyard despite early hiccups, South Africa brushed aside without much bother (both last year) and recently against the West Indies, the team never even needed to touch fourth gear.
In this light, the Indian vice-captain’s words become a fine balancing act. There is a desire to win, of course, for Virat Kohli knows no other way to lead. Encircled within is also the need to send out a message for England and Australia will be watching. Well begun will not be half the job done, quite literally given the opposition strengths, and it is imperative that India puts its best foot forward.
Problem of plenty
Unlike MS Dhoni, Kohli has a strange problem on his hands. It is tough to remember a time when there were two options available for nearly every spot in the playing eleven. Even the team that rose to No. 1 in the International Cricket Council Test rankings back in 2009-‘10 did not boast of such a squad. In those days, the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Zaheer Khan occupied spots that could not be filled in by any other players. That simply is not the case anymore.
Perhaps the best example of this in the current set up is how Kohli is not the only batsman to do the No. 4 job. He may be the best option, yes, but Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma can slot in there with ease as well. While the captain’s name is first on the team sheets, and it is his prerogative to pick the spot he wants to play at, this team is not fussy about such aspects. And it was a wonderful sight to see Kohli bat at No. 3 in the West Indies, even if that was an ill-thought plan.
The underlying point is that the batting line-up is teeming with talent and, yet, there are only so many spots available. Kohli takes one, so does Rahane; on current form KL Rahul cannot be dropped. The captain has to pick one between Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan; the former was picked in Trinidad for the fourth Test and did not get a fair opportunity. The latter did just enough in that series to merit selection.
If you thought this conundrum was easy, the big question really comes afterwards – do they want to play six batsmen or seven? “We picked seven batsmen here because four bowlers should be able to do the job at home,” Kohli had said in Trinidad. That was a trial run for this first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur, with Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma lined up for hits in the middle. It did not happen, thanks to rain and wet outfields.
Since then though, Pujara has hit 166 and an unbeaten 256 in the Duleep Trophy, while Rohit Sharma scored 30 and 32 not out in the Duleep Trophy final, and 18 in the warm-up game against New Zealand in Delhi. Does this make for an easy decision for the skipper?
Kanpur won't be a raging turner
The key – for both teams – will be the composition of their bowling attack. And that will depend on the nature of the Kanpur pitch in turn, pun unintended. Early indications are that “doctored” spin tracks from last season are a thing of the past and that curators nationwide have been left alone this time around to provide tracks that they deem fit. “No messages have gone out in regards to the pitch conditions. We will play on what is given to us. As a team, we want to talk about cricket and not the pitch,” said coach Anil Kumble on Tuesday.
It puts Kohli’s thought process in perspective. On a very spin friendly track in Mohali last season, he picked five bowlers in the first Test against South Africa. In the West Indies, he emphatically declared that he “likes to start any Test series on an aggressive note”. As such, it leaves an interesting quandary for him ahead of toss-time on Thursday – go in with five bowlers or play Rohit once again?
The Kiwi challenge
For New Zealand, the choice is clear. They have talked up the ploy of playing three spinners and with Tim Southee now missing the Test series, they have no option but to deploy all three – Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig – in the first match itself. There may be some caution in light of their figures from the warm-up match against Mumbai – 4/285 collectively. But they were amply attacked, highlighting the mind-set of the Indian batsmen against spin. They need to exploit it.
The visitors will need to find the right balance in terms of the batsmen they pick. Luke Ronchi got a hundred in the second innings in Delhi, and Tom Latham was impressive at the top of the order too. It could see Martin Guptill sitting out, but this is a decision Kane Williamson would not want to make until the last moment. The out-of-form opener can comprehend spin well, and has a knack of playing attacking cricket, even if faced with the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja first up.
This is the peculiar aspect India will face in this Test series. The Kiwis are a very calculative bunch, and Williamson is a shrewd captain. In Mike Hesson, they have a coach who likes to work out all the possible angles a match can play forward in, and it has resulted in their side’s development as a tenacious bunch despite the departure of Brendon McCullum.
If the Caribbean tour was a breeze for the Indian team, this three-Test affair will be played out in a far-removed reality. It will not be just about Kohli versus Williamson, or Ashwin against their batting resolve, rather it will be a testy affair wherein the hosts will be forced into fourth gear from the very off.
For, the Kiwis will be no pushovers, unlike West Indies in the summer.