India will face a tough English test at home following an intense Test series in South Africa. On January 25, the much awaited five-match series between these two heavyweights will begin.
Everyone is interested to watch how Rohit Sharma’s India will do against England’s much-discussed ‘BazBall’ brand of Test cricket.
It goes without saying that the hosts would favor pitches with spin because it plays to their advantage and there are WTC points at stake.
Indian batters, particularly those who bat first, will be ready for England’s pacers, Ollie Robinson and James Anderson, who can extract swing from both the surface and the air, while English batsmen will be preparing for the severe spin test.
In order to minimize shine as much as feasible, an opener must assess the surface’s length, bounce, and swing. When the openers don’t know the degree of swing, this task is considerably more challenging under favorable situations.
In order to offer the rest of the team the best opportunity to put a large score on the board, the openers must modify their game to fit the circumstances.
We shall talk about a few Indian openers who have excelled in Test matches against England, both at home and abroad, in this post.
Five of the Indian openers’ greatest hits versus England
5. Ravi Shastri, 187 runs, Kennington Oval, London, 1990
Although they weren’t as dominant in Test cricket as they are now, India wasn’t a pushover in 1990 either. And nobody offered India the chance to even draw a match during their 1990 visit to England.
England was ahead, leading the series 1-0. India needed to win the third Test to level the series.
Ravi Shastri adopted a defensive approach, played determined cricket, and scored 187 runs off 436 balls. His spirited performance helped his team achieve a gigantic score of 609/9 dec. Unfortunately, the match concluded in a draw, resulting in England winning the series 1-0.
4. Sunil Gavaskar, 221 runs, Kennington Oval, London, 1979
Gaining victory in the fourth Test became essential for the visitors to tie the series, since England was already up 1-0. However, Indian batsmen had severe trouble against English spinners and gave up a commanding lead of 103 runs.
In the second innings, England was merciless and gave their opponents a target of 448 runs. Sunil Gavaskar had maybe one of his greatest innings as an opener in England under the do-or-die scenario.
In contrast to his conventional batting strategy, Gavaskar played positive cricket, scoring his double century to give India the advantage.
India appeared to be coasting at 389/3, but Gavaskar’s 221-run wicket wrecked the pursuit, forcing India to settle for a draw only 19 runs short of the objective.
3. KL Rahul, 199 runs, Chennai, 2016
India required a strong reaction at bat after England put up a formidable 477 in their opening innings in Chennai. After he got going, KL Rahul—who had been playing brilliant cricket—did not let a bowler get comfortable with line and length.
The best part of Rahul’s inning was his skill against the spin. Using the crease expertly, he pulled, sliced, and amassed a remarkable century.
Rahul, however, pursued a slow, looping ball well outside the off-stump at 199, and it twisted sufficiently to force a false shot at cover point, ending a fantastic knock.
2. Murali Vijay, 146 runs, Trent Bridge, 2014
Traditional test opener Murali Vijay, who enjoys taking his time, had one of his finest innings in the nations of Southeast Asia. It was 2014’s first Test match at Trent Bridge versus England.
When batting first, Stuart Broad and James Anderson threatened to swing the ball dangerously, putting the Indian openers to the test. Vijay’s innings didn’t get off to a great start since the pair continued bowling enticing lines that led to limited opportunities.
However, as they say, “Luck favors the brave,” and on that particular day, Vijay had luck on his side. Everybody was complimenting his skill as Vijay exited the ball with ease.
Even though the other batsmen didn’t do anything to help, Vijay managed to make his only century in England (146 runs off 361 balls).
1. Rohit Sharma, 127 runs, Kennington Oval, London, 2021
In 2021, Rohit Sharma expertly navigated between careful and bold moves, achieving his first foreign Test hundred with a score of 127. He reached this milestone at Kennington Oval, playing against the home team.
Being an opener in his first foreign assignment, everyone had doubts about Sharma’s ability to play well in challenging batting circumstances. Even a few years ago, before that series, no one would have associated ‘The Hitman’ with the technique of defending in bowler-friendly Test match conditions.
However, it was time for Sharma to make amends in Test cricket, and he appeared to be fixated on doing well in whites under any circumstances. Playing the balls close to his body, he altered his technique, reduced his backlift stance, and left anything bowled outside off.
Everyone saw an atypical Rohit Sharma throughout the entire series, not just in that particular match.