England’s momentum-shifting victory in Mumbai, the sort that South Africa’s Hashim Amla has patented in recent months, means that both India and their visitors go to Kolkata hopeful of victory in the third of this levelled four match series.
If anything, England go into the third Test as slight favourites. Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann took 19 wickets between them in Mumbai, the most from an English spinning duo since Laker and Lock took 19 New Zealand wickets at Headingly in 1958.
Kevin Pietersen was named Man of the Match in Mumbai for his stunning 186 that destroyed India’s bowling attack. Ravchandrani Arshwin may have inspired some fear in England’s batsmen before this series started, but his wickets have gone for an average of nearly 60 runs apiece so far in the series, and that’s not good enough for any front line bowler.
Pietersen took the game away from India, a display of aggressive, game-changing batting that has mostly eluded this England team for much of 2012, but which will be required to complete a famous series victory in India this year
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni meanwhile seems determined to give Arshwin and Pragyan Ojha every chance of spinning England out, requesting (demanding?) a wicket that spins from ball one at Eden Gardens. India will serve up a pitch that has been used for a four day domestic Ranji match just two weeks ago for the Test starting on Wednesday, a step that resulted in pitch Curator Prabir Mukherjee requesting a letter of authorisation from the BCCI before delivering the pitch.
Dhoni’s desire to arm his spinners with a pitch that’s conducive to their skill sets may be counterproductive to his side however, as Swann and Panesar caused more problems and, bottom line, took more wickets than their Indian counterparts in the last test.
From England’s perspective, despite their astonishing ten wicket victory in Mumbai, changes are expected.
Ian Bell has re-joined the squad following the birth of his first child. His return to the side would mean Samit Patel or Jonny Bairstow miss out.
Given that England have abandoned their flawed plan to use Patel as a second spinner, and that Bairstow’s batting in the warm-up matches of this tour and the last test against South Africa at the Oval earlier this year have both yielded centuries, I would like to see the Yorkshire man given the nod ahead of Patel, who has struggled with bat and ball so far this series.
The biggest decision England face however is, should Stuart Broad retain his place?
The Nottinghamshire bowler, named vice captain for this tour, has been desperately short of pace and penetration in India despite taking 40 wickets in all Tests this year. England won comfortably last time out with Broad in the side, but the bowler was a passenger for most of the match. Panesar and Swann won’t take 19 wickets in every game and England need their seam attack to share the load in Kolkata.
Broad will feel aggrieved should he miss out, but Steve Finn was always meant to play in this series, only a thigh injury picked up on day one of this tour delayed his participation until now. Finn’s form on the ODI series in India 12 months ago was the highlight of a miserable 5-0 series whitewash here, taking 8 wickets at 31 runs apiece, and he has arguably been England’s stand out bowler this year across all formats as well.
Finn for Broad makes sense in the bowling department, but it does weaken the batting severely. In Finn, Panesar and Anderson, England have three rank tail-enders at the bottom of their batting line up.
Broad supporters might hope that England go with five bowlers, with Finn taking the place of either Patel or Bairstow with Prior moving up to six, but I cannot see England risking that. Whether England choose four bowlers of five (they won’t choose five), more runs are required from the batting order. Pietersen, Cook and Prior can’t score them all.
My England XI for Kolkata would be; Cook ©, Compton, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Bairstow, Prior (+), Swann, Anderson, Finn, Panesar
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