Strategic Masterstroke: Outwits England's Clever Plans, Traps, and Team Selection Controversies
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| Photo credit _Hindustan Times |
Indian captain Shubman Gill, self-critical after the first Test loss at Headingley, had vowed to bat with greater responsibility and add 50 more runs to his 147.
On Day 1 of the second Test, he delivered emphatically. His unbeaten 114 off 216 balls was a masterclass in leadership and resilience, silencing doubts raised by his bold selection decisions.
Gill’s innings showcased his ability to navigate the tactical traps laid by Ben Stokes’ cunning strategies, outsmarting an opposition that tested India’s batsmen relentlessly.
While KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, and Rishabh Pant succumbed to well-executed plans, Gill, alongside a vital 99-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja (41), steered India to a promising 310/5.
If the revamped but scrutinized lower order capitalizes, India’s team management may escape the persistent question: Why were Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav left out?
The final session unfolded as a cerebral showdown between two captains, transforming the team sport into a personal battle of wits. Stokes probed aggressively, while Shubman countered with defense and calculated aggression. England stacked the off-side to lure the Indian captain into risky drives, but he either stood firm with forward defense or threaded precise drives through gaps. His century milestone echoed this composure.
When Joe Root packed the leg-side and floated tempting leg-spinners, Shubman deftly found gaps with paddle sweeps. Each boundary was punctuated by a spirited shout and a fist pump, before he settled back into serenity with his signature elegant bow.
Composure eluded others as Stokes’ meticulously crafted plans outfoxed most Indian batsmen. Early in the innings, Chris Woakes, armed with the new ball, stationed a leg-slip for KL Rahul and relentlessly bowled full-length nip-backers, forcing him to play at deliveries targeting the stumps.
Unlike the first Test, where Rahul confidently left outside-off balls, here he was visibly unsettled, rehearsing the ball’s inward movement with hesitant gestures. His usual expansive forward stride was stifled by this probing line, leading to indecision.
As anticipated, a nip-backer with extra bounce undid him Rahul managed to ride the bounce but couldn’t prevent the ball from clipping the stumps. For Jaiswal, Stokes devised a different trap, tempting him with deliveries outside off. Jaiswal, drawn into cuts and flamboyant drives, missed several but connected a few, dispatching them through the off-side. Yet, the persistent off-stump line kept him under constant pressure.
After lunch, India’s batsmen delivered a spectacle reminiscent of Day 1 at Headingley, captivating with their flair. Jaiswal and Karun Nair unleashed a barrage of drives, thwarting England’s bowlers who struggled to provoke a mistake. Nair, however, flirted with danger, narrowly escaping with a couple of risky leaves.
Following a majestic straight drive off an overpitched Woakes delivery that raced for four, Nair faced a scare. A good-length nip-backer, which he misjudged as off the stumps and left, struck his pad. DRS rescued him, revealing the ball was just too high.
Woakes, visibly irked, was denied by DRS for the second time, both instances marred by marginal height. Adjusting their lengths, England’s bowlers pitched slightly fuller, but Nair countered with elegant drives through cover, long-off, long-on, and square leg. As lunch neared, Stokes introduced Carse, tasking him to extract bounce from a good length.
Carse delivered a vicious ball that few could have countered; Nair, attempting to fend it off with one hand off the bat, only managed to loop it to the slips.
Jaiswal remained unfazed by the setbacks, confidently dispatching full deliveries to the boundary and crisply striking good-length balls through the off-side with an upward flourish. Short-pitched balls were deftly guided through gaps in the slip cordon, pulled powerfully to the boundary, or swatted with a tennis-like forehand smack.
Jaiswal, much like his first innings at Headingley, appeared destined for another century, batting with serene assurance. Stokes, ever-calculating, bowled tirelessly in the off-stump channel, keeping the ball short with a third man in place for protection while leaving the square off-side boundary exposed by pulling the point fielder in.
Stokes baited Jaiswal to cut, knowing his drives were near impeccable. The tactic paid off: Jaiswal’s quick bat speed on a slower delivery led to an edge to the wicketkeeper, a seemingly innocuous ball proving decisive.
England’s strategy shone again in dismissing Pant, with tall off-spinner Shoaib Bashir as the executor. Stokes set a cunning field for Pant, placing a mid-on and a deep mid-wicket slightly straighter, tempting him with an open invitation to loft the ball toward the sightscreen where no fielder waited to pouch a catch.
Bashir floated the ball on middle-leg to the left-handed Pant, daring him to attack. Pant, renowned for his audacity against spin, obliged, executing a difficult shot with exquisite timing, making it seem effortless. Stokes persisted with the same field and strategy, undeterred. Bashir continued to toss the ball up, and a few deliveries later, he flighted one higher, slowing its pace but landing it precisely where Pant had earlier smashed a six.
This time, Pant’s timing faltered, and Zak Crawley, stationed at deep mid-wicket, sprinted sideways to take a crucial catch. England erupted in celebration, fully aware of the wicket’s significance.
At the toss, when asked about the first Test victory being dubbed Bazball with brains, Stokes quipped, “Brains, me, and Baz aren’t exactly a trio.” Downplaying his tactical acumen with a playful jest, he exemplified the cunning charm of a true Bazballer.
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