IND vs ENG Fifth Test | The series was won, but the Indians were surprisingly caught in the spin-web

The “dead” rubber of the test series is no longer an opportunity to experiment with strength on the bench. Thanks to the World Test Championship, no team is risking points. Teams fighting for a place in the finals do not affect the outcome of the current series.

When the fifth and final Test between India and England gets underway at the beautiful HPCA Stadium here on Thursday, the intensity in both camps will not let up. The current 3-1 scoreline might look a lot different, but credit to India for seizing the big moments after squandering them in the first Test.

From India’s point of view, it is a good time to reflect on what this series has shown instead of settling for a long-awaited series win. This series has exposed the vulnerability of Indian batsmen even at home against dubutant spinners. In contrast, some English batsmen have fared better against quality home spinners.

With the exception of the first Test, where England fought back admirably from a 190-run first innings deficit to turn things around, the Indian batsmen struggled through tough phases and the bowlers – not just the spinners – struck when needed.

But the bigger question remains. How could England, despite losing the services of their most experienced spinner, left-armer Jack Leach (36 Tests) after the first Test, contain the Indian batsmen for the next three Tests with their grossly inexperienced spin attack?

Debutant Tom Hartley, after four Tests, has 20 wickets and leads the list of wicket takers in the series. Shoaib Bashir has 12 from two Tests and Rehan Ahmed has 11 from three. Even Joe Root took the opportunity to make amends for his failure in the first three Tests, taking eight wickets in 115 overs!

While much has been said about the continuation of England’s Bazball, regardless of the match situation, the ability of Zach Crowley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope to handle the domestic spinners. The fact that the trio is among the top six in the series speaks for itself.

Also, the reverse change in the first Test led the Indian think tank to not opt ​​for spin-friendly tracks, unlike what we saw during England’s previous visit for the four Tests in 2021. this series.

Overall, it was a good test for the Test team. Some wake up calls and some star activity. Now is the time to consolidate the gains and end the boom.