English team came to India with a plan of action to perform at the highest level and the sloppy Indian fielding helped them to score 537 in the first innings. Three English batsmen scored centuries and this the third highest score registered on Indian soil. Thus England made India pay for dropping five catches, which include one by captain Virat Kohli and the best fielder in the side Ajinkya Rahane. Catches win matches is true for test match cricket as the opposition build big scores in the wake of bad fielding. India did not live up to its number one status and committed silly mistakes in the field and thereby allowing even the English tails to wag. Instead of giving importance only on batting we should pay more importance to bowling and well backed by fielding. Having failed to utilise the New Zealand series to unearth young talent we suffer mostly on the field as the Indian spinners looked helpless and DRS took a heavy toll of Team India. Even Cook got out because the English captain failed to refer and thereby giving Jadeja an extra wicket to add to his kittly. Stylish Stokes stole the limelight on the second day.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
