MillenniumPost
Sports

Battle resumes amidst Anderson row

The simmering row involving James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja has added some spice to the series as India and England gear up for the second cricket Test at Lord’s where a lively wicket is expected to welcome the two teams here on Thursday.

As if the ‘lifeless’ wicket at Nottingham was not enough, the alleged altercation between the two players has marred the start of the five-match series. A date for hearing has not been finalised as yet which means Anderson is sure to play and the incident is bound to have a bearing when the two teams square up.

ICC has charged the home paceman Anderson for pushing and abusing Jadeja during the lunch break on the second day of first Test. If found guilty he could miss at least two and up to four Tests or upto 8 ODIs, something the hosts will not desire under any circumstances.

Two days ahead of the match, the centre-wicket at Lord’s bore a distinctive green tinge. Much of it is expected to disappear by time of the toss on the first morning. Even so, it is possible the wicket will retain some juice in it, thanks to this delayed shaving.

It will be joyous news for the quicker bowlers on both sides then, a sort of reward for the hard work they put in during the Nottingham game. At the same time, such a scenario will also be in keeping with how Tests at Lord’s have panned out in recent times. The average first-innings score at this ground is 315, but from 2010 until 2014, it has gone up to 403. The fact that this is the only ground that hosts two Tests in an English summer helps of course.

As such then, England will not be playing left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan, who is as it is considered a long-shot given his disappointing debut in the Ashes last year. He is said to be in the squad to begin his reintegration to the Test format. For India, meanwhile, perhaps this puts to rest the question of playing two spinners. At Trent Bridge, the 198-run world-record 10th wicket stand between Anderson and Joe Root notwithstanding, the Indian bowlers gave a fairly good account of themselves.

Indian skipper MS Dhoni likes to think of international cricket as a process and in that respect his inexperienced bowling attack did graduate from the way they bowled in the two practice games at Leicester and Derbyshire.

Meanwhile, the six-batsmen-line-up too performed satisfactorily and merits another go as the Indian team searches for a first overseas Test win since 2011. Perhaps the only selection dilemma facing Dhoni ahead of this Test will be regarding who his fourth and fifth bowlers should be.

The summation of spinners’ disliking for Lord’s and Stuart Binny’s match-saving maiden fifty at Nottingham means that the all-rounder will be in the playing eleven.Inadvertently it means a toss-up between R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. 
Next Story
Share it