Lord’s Debacle: India listless as England put on the swing

India’s debacle at the Lord’s Test, losing by 159 runs and an innings, should provoke serious questions about this team. Granted that the typical English conditions were difficult for Indian batsmen raised on placid wickets back home. Nonetheless, their performance isn’t what is expected of a supposedly world class team. Barring Virat Kohli, none of the other batsmen have shown the grit and determination to stick it out in tough conditions. While their technique has been poor, it is their mental makeup that has let them down the most. And when you have quality English bowlers of the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad operating, one simply can’t afford to be mentally weak.

Virat Kohli (Reuters photo)

In two matches now, India’s famed batting has been disappointing. While Kohli did put up some resistance in the Edgbaston Test, the other batsmen simply weren’t up to the mark. At Lord’s Kohli wasn’t 100% fit and India’s downfall became almost inevitable. Over-reliance on one person in the team isn’t healthy. One would have thought that the days of Team India depending on one exceptional player were long behind us. But it seems that the ghost of the 1990s has returned, when the team would rely on Sachin Tendulkar to deliver.

On the other hand, the Indian pace attack has been downright decent. Which is why it was inexplicable selection to sit out Umesh Yadav and bring in spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the Lord’s Test. Given the conditions, this was a big mistake. If Team India has a think tank, it hasn’t put on its thinking cap recently. At 2-0 down in the ongoing five match series, India have essentially hit rock bottom. With application missing, it is difficult to see how this team will turn things around. If it does, then some people other than Kohli have to step up and show grit. Before it takes the field at Trent Bridge, Team India must find its spine.