India vs England: Covid Rotation Policy To Cost Joe Root’s Team This Series & World Test Championship Final Spot

England is unlikely to recover from the loss in the second Test at Chennai and bounce back to win or level the four-match series in India. What will dent the visitors’ confidence more than the 317-run loss at Chepauk is the Covid-induced “rest-and-rotation” policy that their cricket board and team management has adopted.

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England, after winning the first Test – at the same venue – by 227 runs, made four changes to their playing XI. Their bowling spearhead James Anderson was replaced by Stuart Broad; off-spinner Dom Bess made way for Moeen Ali; wicket-keeper Ben Foakes came in for Jos Butler; and pacer Olly Stone took over from Jofra Archer. While Archer sat out owing to an injury, Anderson and Bess – both of who had starred in the first Test victory – were rested and dropped respectively, and Buttler flew back to England to be with his family.

In normal circumstances, such wholesale changes made during a crucial Test series, especially after a victory, would defy logic, but these are unusual times. The England team has been away from home since the beginning of January, when they reached Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series, before flying to India for the ongoing tour. After the four Tests, they are scheduled to play five T20s and three ODIs till the end of March. The tour will be followed by the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is expected to be played in April-May-June. Almost all England stars, with the exception of captain Joe Root, play for IPL franchises.

The scheduling, effectively, means those who play all three formats – several from the current England squad – will be away from their families and in bio-bubbles necessitated by Covid-19 for around five months, with only a small travel window before the IPL.

Bio-bubbles require cricketers to stay confined to hotels, with their commute to the ground being the only exception. These extraordinary times and the hardships that come with them have forced England to make certain decisions devoid of any cricketing sense. And, in the process, they have possibly thrown away an opportunity to repeat their heroics of 2012-13, when they won the four-match Test series 2-1 in India.

The third Test, only the second day-night match in India, begins next Wednesday (February 24) at Ahmedabad’s Motera – the world’s biggest cricket stadium. The visitors are certain to bring back Anderson, after a two-week-long break, which would mean England’s highest wicket-taker in Tests may not have the same rhythm he showcased in the first Test. Anderson is, by far, England's best bowler in the current squad, but he is 38.

Ali, who came in as a replacement for Bess, was the star performer for England in the second Test. He picked up eight wickets in the match and was the highest scorer in the second innings. The all-rounder, however, is flying back home – a decision he and the England Cricket Board (ECB) made even before the series began. Ali had missed the Sri Lanka series as he was infected with Covid-19 after the England team landed in the island nation.

Isolated and kept in quarantine, the past month-and-a-half have been the most difficult for Ali in comparison to his teammates. He is expected to be back for the limited-overs leg of the tour, but Bess will replace him for the next two Tests. It is difficult to imagine Bess would be at his best, with his confidence level dented after being benched.

Archer may return if he is fit, in which case, Stone will have to sit out after having played just one Test – the second of his career.

While it seems certain England will make these three changes, subject to Archer’s fitness, batsman and wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, who has joined the squad, may also get a look in. Bairstow missed the first two Tests as he flew back to England from Sri Lanka as part of the “rest-and-rotate” policy. There are indications that Bairstow, who batted at No. 3 during the 2-0 series win in Sri Lanka, may replace Dan Lawrence, who has managed to score just 53 runs in four innings.

This would potentially mean, the visitors will make four changes, again, to their playing XI for a second consecutive Test, leaving them with little stability in their line-up.

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Former England greats Sir Ian Botham, Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan have criticised the rotation policy, but on Wednesday, the team’s head coach Chris Silverwood defended it. “I think the rotation policy is something we need to get on with and make it work as best as we can. People do need to see their families, we are trying to make life for our players as comfortable as possible… I can guarantee you we are not prioritising anything above Test cricket,” said Silverwood during a virtual press conference.

Notwithstanding Silverwood’s comment, England’s “rest-and-rotation” policy has ensured – in all certainty – that they lose to India not just this series, but also a place in the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand to be played in June at Lord’s, the home of cricket.

So much for prioritising Test cricket.

• chris silverwood
• covid-19
• cricket
• From the press box
• India vs England 2021
• motera test
• rotation policy