Page 49 - The Indian EYE 092024

SPORTS SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 | The Indian Eye 49

BANGLADESH IN INDIA

Top-order decline for India at home: Can

key batters rise to the occasion in Tests?

From 2016-2020, India’s top-seven batters averaged 63.36 against spin at home,

with 103.7 balls per dismissal. After 2021-onwards, India’s top-seven’s average against spin has
declined to 37.56, with balls per dismissal being 64.4

OUR BUREAU
Chennai

s India prepares for the first
Test against Bangladesh, In-
Adian cricket fans will be ea-
ger for the top order batsmen in the
team to arrest collective slide in their
form, which has seen the averages
and centuries decline markedly from
the 2016-2020 period to the time span
from the year 2021.
The two-match series between
India and Bangladesh will kick off on
September 19 in Chennai at the MA
Chidambaram Stadium with the sec-
ond long-format game scheduled to
start on September 27 in Kanpur. In
his first Test assignment, head coach
Gautam Gambhir will be keen on se-
curing a series win.
Looking at the batting averages
of the top-seven batters of India and
visiting teams on Indian surfaces in
Tests, there is a huge difference sta-
tistically in the time periods 2016-
2020 and 2021-present day. India’s captain Rohit Sharma (ANI/File photo)
In the 2016-2020 span, the bat-
ting average of top-seven Indian bat- Tests with one century from 2021 on- Jaiswal have made a place for them- against pace were 108, but later on
ters was collectively 54.43 and they wards), KL Rahul (average of 44.25 selves through their performance. from 2021 onwards, they were just 44
took 6.9 innings per century. During in 14 Tests with a century from 2016- The Indian batters have appar- in total.
the same time period, the batting av- 2020 to an average of 29.20 in three ently struggled against spin. India have not lost a series at
erage of top-seven batters of visiting Tests with zero centuries from 2021), From 2016-2020, India’s top-sev- home since 2014 and bowlers have
countries was collectively 28.51, with and skipper Rohit Sharma (average en batters averaged 63.36 against contributed to the success in a large
them taking 19.6 innings per century. of 101.20 in 10 Tests with four centu- spin at home, with 103.7 balls per dis- measure.
But a big change was noticed ries to an average of 44.87 with four missal. After 2021-onwards, India’s For Rohit Sharma’s side, this
from 2021. From this year, the bat- centuries in 15 Tests) have witnessed top-seven’s average against spin has series against Bangladesh will be fol-
ting average of India’s top-seven de- some sharp declines. declined to 37.56, with balls per dis- lowed by New Zealand’s tour of India
clined to 38.30, with them taking 13.1 The declines of middle-order missal being 64.4. During this time, for three Tests starting from October
innings per century. For overseas batters Cheteshwar Pujara (average dismissal of India’s top seven against 16, and then the highly anticipated
top-seven batters, averages declined of 56.85 in 24 Tests with five tons spin also increased from 110 to 134. Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in
to 26.12, with the batters taking from 2016-2020 to average of 24.53 However, India’s game against Australia from November 22.
33 innings per century, as per ES- in 10 Tests with zero centuries from pace at home has been largely con- India’s squad for the 1st Test
PNCricinfo. 2021) and Ajinkya Rahane (average sistent, with very little decline. The against Bangladesh:
The batting averages of sever- of 39.32 in 22 Tests with two centu- top-seven of Team India averaged Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal,
al big top-order/middle-order In- ries from 2016-2020 to average of 47.36 against pace from 2016-2020, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul,
dian batters have declined at home 18.87 in five Tests with zero centuries with 85.6 balls per dismissals. This av- Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK),
in recent years. Among the players from 2021) at home may have con- erage faced a very little decline from Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja,
in squad: Virat Kohli (average of tributed to their not finding a place 2021, coming to an average of 45.79, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed
86.17 in 22 Tests with 10 centuries in in the team. Young players like Shub- with 83.8 balls per dismissal. In the Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah,
2016-2020 to average of 34.47 in 11 man Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi first-time phase, India’s dismissals Yash Dayal.

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