India falter against England's spinners in first innings duel

Bashir makes major inroads into the India batting unit to put the visitors in control on Day 2 of fourth Test

- Somshuvra Laha

Batting collapse doesn't fully encapsulate what India have inflicted on themselves, sliding to 171/6 from 86/1. Consider it as the consequence of the hasty disintegration of India's once vaunted middle order. It is rather inevitable. You just can't replace Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara overnight. There is no alternative to their experience nor their method that produced truckloads of runs without going through the careers they have carved.

But by squandering the opportunity of making the most of a pitch that is slow but not exactly devious, against a spin attack that by all means is still low on experience, India may have let England a way back into this Test and series. Like the Hyderabad Test, once again it showed that India can buckle under the pressure of runs. And that if first innings is in excess of 300, it can start to play mind games with the batters.

The front foot play wasn't always assured, neither was the calling for runs on some occasions. And sending Ravindra Jadeja ahead of Sarfaraz Khan possibly because of his hundred at Rajkot - was probably not on as well.

England have been exceptional and their bowling for this Test has been near perfect, but India's inability to rough out a phase they knew would come has once again put their position in jeopardy. Dhruv Jurel has looked solid for his 30 but on 219/7 at stumps, 353 still looks well and truly out of reach.