No regrets for Stokes but another case of what might have been for England،
In the end, it was a bit of an anti-climax.
Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel, 24 and 23 respectively, bowled the remaining 72 runs with ease, giving us a glimpse of what Indian cricket could look like for the next decade. The teams come here, graft, sweat and, sometimes, get ahead. And in the end, India wins.
A bit like the last decade, to be honest. Which is why, on the face of it, a first defeat in eight series for England under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum isn't so bad.
Before the tour, Stokes considered winning a single Test a success. England achieved it in the first attempt in Hyderabad. What followed, as India prepared to take the next three, confirms the point he was making. Nonetheless, at the end of a hilly fourth Test at Ranchi, he cut a forlorn figure.
“3-1 doesn’t look great,” conceded the England captain, who still wears the toil of the day’s 53 overs on his jerseys and face. For much of the middle of that period, his team felt like it was on the cusp of something extraordinary.
“We had no chance of competing with India,” Stokes said of the overall match. “But even today it was not an easy victory for India, and I think they would admit that.”
His assessment of his team's chances was at odds with some of England's key principles under Stokes. An absolute belief: compete no matter what, focus on bringing out the best in yourself and don't think about the opposition.
Perhaps he was just being realistic, considering that a “young and inexperienced team” was facing a team that had been undefeated at home for 11 years. He spoke of the pride he felt in the way the players “reacted to everything, even three results going the wrong way”. But it was certainly his most negative, even defeatist, extract since he took on this role full-time in early summer 2022.
Perhaps it's because it's the first time he's had to suffer a defeat like this. Stokes, for all his selfless leadership qualities, has long been the worst loser in the England dressing room. That won't have changed as skipper, and that probably makes the losses a little more painful. There had only been four matches out of 18 before this trip. After remaining optimistic every day of his 21 months at the head of the team, here is an understandable first slip.
Faith in principles remained, and certainly, as the fourth day in Ranchi progressed, Stokes had every confidence that a result would come with it. He was constantly tweaking pitches, managing his bowlers and clapping between deliveries, shouting instructions and encouragement throughout. When England took 5 for 36 to leave India reeling in their chase of 192, he was in his element.
This collapse, sparked by Joe Root, facilitated by Tom Hartley and then intensified by three wickets from Shoaib Bashir, was exactly what Stokes had promised them the night before. The players returned to the locker rooms on Sunday afternoon, drained by the way a day that started with them 134 ahead ended, with India needing what can now be described as a modest 152 more For victory.
But Stokes, with McCullum's support, lifted their spirits and challenged them to dream. As Bashir proclaimed on Sunday evening, fresh off his first five-wicket win in professional cricket, “We have a chance to be heroes.
Bashir's display has put him at the front of the queue for that mantle, with now more than half of his first-class wickets available in two tastes of Test cricket. With compatriot Hartley, India were evenly matched, especially when 31 overs went by without a boundary visible from the start. The spell was broken when Jurel threw Bashir through cover, which felt like a counter punch to the gut given how few points were left to play with.
“They will be able to walk away at the end of this tour with their heads held very high,” Stokes said of his two spinners.
For the rest, Dharamsala offers some possibilities for comfort. But as they split up for the upcoming break before this fifth Test – a handful, including Stokes, head to Chandigarh, while the majority of the team and coaching staff head to Bengaluru for a few games of golf – opportunities are being rejected for what would have been a spectacular deciding factor in the foothills of the Himalayas.
A result like this, with the odds stacked against England from the start, is not the time to reassess ideologies, and they certainly won't. But the question is whether they have been the best versions of themselves, for long enough. The answer is probably no. Eventually, they will have to ask themselves “why?” »
England did not lose this series on Monday, just like India did not win 17 in a row at home simply because of the class and composure of Gill and Jurel. But like the Ashes last summer, the key moments were not captured.
They had India 177 for 7 on the second day here, after fighting tooth and nail for an excellent first innings of 353. They allowed India to come back with a passive opening session on Sunday. Stokes opted to start with Ollie Robinson, who played as incisively as one would expect from a man who had not played a competitive match since July, despite looking sharp in the nets.
It made matters worse when Robinson dropped a catch at midwicket which allowed Jurel to turn 59 into 90. And then during England's second innings, even in conditions, according to Stokes, which made it “almost impossible” for the batters to win in their usual manner, they were 110 for 3 before losing 7 for 35.
Rajkot, however, was the real killer. India were 33 for 3 on the first morning of the third Test after winning the toss, but managed to emerge with 445. England, in reply, were 224 for 2 before Joe Root bowled. that shot to trigger an 8-for-95 collapse, giving up a 126-point deficit. All this while the hosts were down after R Ashwin was ruled out of the match due to an urgent family matter. He returned on the final day to pick up the carcass of the fourth innings as England collapsed.
Also think about those missing from India. The world-class duo of Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami played no role, while KL Rahul has been absent since the first Test. Ravindra Jadeja missed the second Test and Jasprit Bumrah was rested for this one. This is by no means a weak Indian team, but it was a newer team that was getting its act together. England took advantage of these uncertainties on several occasions, but only made it count once.
A largely successful project will now face its own mortality for the first time. And this comes as gleeful critics who predicted previous missteps that didn't quite materialize, now have a humbling defeat in India to feast on.
“It's something that will be said 1708989184 that we lost our first series,” Stokes said of the coming backlash.
“A lot of talking points come after they come up. It's something I've accepted, something the team has accepted. But the way we play is pretty simple.
“You can take it all off with just one click, so why not take advantage of every opportunity you get to play and make sure you do it with a smile on your face, no matter what happens? It's “I have a very short career, so why not make it as enjoyable as possible?”
Outwardly, there are no regrets and they have positives to fuel them. But winning, as they well know, would have made things more fun. And the common denominator between that here and against Australia last year is the feeling that England just weren't ruthless enough to take the initiative – something they often talk about – when games were on the line Not that Stokes would agree.
“Cruelty? What is it? How does it manifest? Everyone comes into the game with their best intentions, when it doesn't pay off people say we're not ruthless but when they do, they say we are.
“I don't really understand that saying. That's from my point of view; we're trying to do what we think is the best way to win the game. It can be a throwaway comment when people say we're not Pretty ruthless. Does that mean that?”
It was a defensive response from a leader who always covers his players. A character trait which, all things considered, explains why England could have felt regrets against such dominant opponents.
At the same time, they now possess a moody appearance form. With the exception of a victory over Ireland in a one-off Test early last summer, England have not won their last three multi-match series, having drawn against New -Zealand and Australia in 2023. She has lost five and won only four of her matches. Last 10 matches.
Context is important. Australia are the reigning world Test champions and beaten finalists India have been the format's flagbearers in both cycles of the competition. The two-match series against New Zealand – outside the WTC schedule – did not demonstrate the same level of vigor.
So here we are. Everything is done and dusted with one test still to be done. For the first time under Stokes and McCullum, the team must stand up for one last effort with little to go on other than pride in the jersey and pride in the process. The final match of the series must be the start of a new iteration of an approach that has breathed life into English Test cricket and turned the format on its head, but needs to be refined. For now, a group of talented cricketers will rue what could have been for the second time in nine months.
Critics said Bazball couldn't work in India. And the haters were right. Honestly, great call from the haters.
