India vs England: For Joe Root this series could mean more than a ton of Tests
Among the other famous five, Root has plenty to look forward to in the four-Test series starting in Chennai on February 5. For one, he will be the first to play in his 100th Test.
There is something about visiting batsmen making their Test debut in India going on to enjoy a great career. Viv Richards heads that elite list --- switching to overdrive in his very second Test in New Delhi and never looking back --- which also has England skipper Joe Root.
Among the batting top five of the current generation --- four if David Warner as opener is not seen as belonging to this band --- New Zealand’s Kane Williamson debuted in Ahmedabad in 2010, scoring 131 at No. 6 in a draw. The Kiwis didn’t escape a series defeat though Williamson quickly rose to the top across formats.
Among the other famous five, Root has plenty to look forward to in the four-Test series starting in Chennai on February 5. For one, he will be the first to play in his 100th Test. Virat Kohli will play his 88th and is ahead of Williamson (83), Steven Smith (77) and Warner (86). In the hope that he will be able to emulate Alastair Cook --- the man he replaced as Test skipper --- Root has set sights beyond the milestone.
In 2006, a young Cook, on an England A tour to the Caribbean, flew in just in time to make his debut in the first Test in Nagpur. The summons went soon after skipper Michael Vaughan bit and spat a water bottle cap in dismay and walked out of the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in central Nagpur. He had done in a dodgy knee again in training and Vaughan and those watching instantly knew his tour was over.
Cook delivers
Opening the batting, Cook responded with 60 and 104*, adapting quickly to conditions a world apart from England and the West Indies. England drew a Test in which left-arm spinner Monty Panesar also made his debut and took Sachin Tendulkar as his first wicket. India won the next in Mohali, and though Cook missed the final Test in Mumbai due to a stomach issue, England bowlers stunned the home batsmen to draw the series 1-1.
The key to instant success for visiting batsmen in India is their technique, ability to adapt and tonnes of patience. Root too made his debut in Nagpur, in 2012-13, at No. 6 in the last Test of a series which England, under Cook, were leading 2-1. The 21-year-old had watched a great comeback after losing the first Test. In a Test played in a new stadium in Nagpur’s outskirts, Root came in to bat at 119/4 with India pushing for victory to level the series.
Like Cook six seasons earlier, Root’s 73 off 229 deliveries was vital to draw the game, sealing the series win. Cook’s quiet authority in 2012-13, and different players delivering at various points, helped England end a 27-year wait for a series win in India.
For an encore, Root, 30, needs to be playing anchor. He had taken over as Test skipper from Cook, who signed off from the job with the 0-4 series defeat in India in 2016, also at Chennai. A Karun Nair triple century and Ravindra Jadeja’s seven-for (he dismissed Cook in both innings) had convinced the holder of England’s record for most runs and caps that his captaincy days were over.
Root is in a great place going into the series. Preparation for the high-profile tour was scoring 228 and 186 in the 2-0 series win in Sri Lanka. Galle, venue for both Tests, is the closest England can expect to conditions in India, though the standard of the opposition will be at a different level.
Known territory
Though Root has never made the cut for IPL, the T20 league has helped his players get familiar with conditions. All-rounder Ben Stokes—he and Moeen Ali hit centuries on the 2016 tour—fast bowler Jofra Archer and wicket-keeper Jos Buttler will all be at home. In 2016, Root hit fifty-plus in all five Tests, amid debate over his reluctance to bat at No. 3. He is at peace now, coming in at No.4.
To emulate, 2012 Root will need them at their best. Then, Kevin Pietersen’s sensational 186 and the spin of Graeme Swann and Panesar gave England victory in Mumbai after losing in Ahmedabad. The masterly swing bowling of Jimmy Anderson, who is back at 38, edged England to victory at Eden Gardens, giving a 2-1 series lead.
When England handed India’s last home series defeat, they made brave calls at every step. After Ahmedabad, Panesar was called up. Vice-captain Stuart Broad was then dropped and Steve Finn picked for Kolkata, which proved a right call. Root’s own selection for Nagpur was inspirational and the youngster showed his class immediately.
Root leads a team that is being rotated to deal the bio-bubble challenge, but will hope to lend continuity. He averages 60.70 as skipper in the nine Tests won under him away from home. Sub-continent success though is confined to five wins in Sri Lanka.
Root knows England must build on the work done in Sri Lanka. “We’ve got to look at this as a platform, not be happy with what we have achieved,” he said after the series.
“We have four very important games against arguably the best team in the world in their own conditions. We are going to have to play right at the top of our game to win.
“We couldn’t be in a better place to go and challenge them. That really excites me and it should excite the rest of the group as well. We just got to stay hungry.”