Ninety years ago, 125 miles down south from this salubrious English midlands ground, India made their maiden appearance in Test cricket at the home of the game - Lord's.
The touring bowlers spearheaded by the genuinely fast Mohammad Nissar, the guileful medium pacer Amar Singh and the brisk seamer Jahangir Khan (father and uncle respectively of Pakistani captains Majid Khan and Imran Khan) kept the English batters honest. But the batting failed to cope with the unfamiliar English conditions. Thereby, the visitors lost by 158 runs.
India returned in 1936, 1946, 1952, 1959 and 1967. But it was not until 1971 - thirty-nine long years after their advent in international cricket – that India registered their first Test and series win in this country.
Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, the freak wrist spinner from Bangalore, bamboozled England at The Oval with a second innings spell of six for 38.
The finest team performance, though, was recorded in 1986, when Kapil Dev’s side eclipsed the hosts 2-0 in a three-Test series. Indeed, but for rain cutting short an Indian run chase at this very venue, India would have swept the board. There has been only one other series victory – under Rahul Dravid in 2007.
Indeed, that success was followed by a miserable run, with India white-washed 4-0 in 2011 and then beaten 3-1 in 2014 and 4-1 in 2018, until leading the current series 2-1, which they can’t lose.
Not much had changed in the first segment of the opening day’s play in the present Test - compared to the debacles of the past - notwithstanding 19 sojourns of England by the Indians. Old fashioned swing bowling in favourable overhead and track conditions, reduced India to 98 for five, before two left-handers – Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja upset the English bowlers’ line and rhythm.
Rishabh Pant acknowledges the crowd after getting a hundred.
Image: PTI
Typically, a tinge of green laced the pitch. A fresh breeze, the temperature in the teens in Celsius, the sun playing hide and seek conspired with the hosts’ quicker bowlers fronted by the 39-year-old sultan of swing James Anderson. In anticipation, England’s swashbuckling new captain Ben Stokes invited India, led by Jasprit Bumrah, to bat first, just as he had elected to do against New Zealand at Trent Bridge last month.
The England attack inconvenienced the Indian right-handers with a consistent line on or just outside the off-stump. The same accuracy and movement, though, eluded them against the southpaws. The ball got older and curved less. The introduction of left-arm spinner Jack Leach, which fetched early and rich dividends versus the Kiwis last week, was counterproductive in the face of Pant, characteristically dismissive of a slow bowler. A straight six off the trundler towards the skyscrapers of Birmingham city centre was as safe as it was savage.
Stokes himself operated around the wicket. At first aiming at a good length. In the final hour, he pitched short with six fielders on the leg side in a desperate bid to break the partnership. But the Indian duo were equal to the task.
The strokeful and talented Shubman Gill promised to deceive. He pushed at a delivery from Anderson that was leaving the batter and found the edge. Zak Crawley was again the catcher.
Now the lively fast-medium Matthew Potts got into the act. He seamed one back to trap the correct but slightly unenterprising Hanuma Vihari leg before wicket. He followed with the prized scalp of Virat Kohli, who played on as he belatedly shouldered arms.
Anderson returned to strangle Shreyas Iyer down the leg side, though the credit really went to a brilliant legside catch by wicket-keeper Sam Billings, replacing Ben Foakes, rested because of being struck by covid in the previous Test.
Pant came to the crease ahead of Iyer. This was an intelligent call because the wicketkeeper-batter possesses both experience and success in England, including notching a hundred at The Oval on his first trip in 2018. Moreover, a left-hander joining the right-handed Kohli made theoretical sense.
Amid the ruins, the powerful Pant was untroubled. As the moisture evaporated from the surface, he raced to his half-century off 51 balls, which included a reverse scoop at the expense of Anderson. In the 90s, he executed a straight drive, comically falling over to the offside as unfurled it. Finally, he pulled the 89th ball of his innings to long leg for two to post three figures. A sizzling, chanceless effort. His fifth Test century, certainly one of his best.
Shrewdly, Jadeja took fewer risks at the other end. At close he was unbeaten on 83, with the irrepressible Pant having departed for 146, studded with 19 fours and four sixes. The association realised a record 222 runs for the 6th wicket against England.
Then transpired another blow. Shardul Thakur, who had impressed last season with his striking abilities, perished to a rising effort ball from Stokes which nicked the batter's glove.
From the leather previously kissing the willow to India’s mortification, proceedings ended with a hapless leather hunt for England. The Indians were 338 for seven at close.
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