India was beaten on their last three visits to England for a Test series, but they demonstrated their progress in 2021 with some excellent performances during their latest tour. The visitors left with two victories from the five Tests. The result of the series will be determined by the ICC, as the Fifth Test was cancelled. Prior to that game at Old Trafford, India held a 2-1 lead.
Here are some things we have learnt from the series.
Rohit Sharma Is a Quality Test batsman
While Rohit Sharma has experienced a real slump in Test cricket, the talented batsman has always excelled in the limited-overs game. In this series, he has shown he is also very good over the five-day format. The vice-captain of the India team scored a fantastic 127 at the Oval, helping to rescue the Test match. That victory in London ensured India could not lose the series.
Sharma has now scored over 3,000 Test runs, so there should be no doubt about his contribution to the India team in this format and that he is a promising key player. The versatile batsman will now look to showcase what he can do in T20 cricket in the IPL. His Mumbai Indians side amongst the favourites in the expert’s top pick on major IPL betting sites to win the tournament for the third straight year. He is a big part of the franchise so his recent form will significantly encourage Mumbai supporters.
India Can Play in All Conditions
Overseas Test matches have often been a problem for India over the last two decades, as they only have dominated games where conditions have been in their favour. Yet results over the last two years indicate they are now able to prevail in all conditions.
India has been successful in Australia, including back in January when they came out on top 2-1 in a four-match series. This latest series is another big step at proving that this India team can handle different surfaces and conditions. The bowling attack, particularly the seamers, were at their best, while all of India’s top order scored runs at points in the series.
Virat Kohli Remains an Inspirational Captain
Virat Kohli recently stepped down as the captain of the T20 team, however, he will continue his role with the Test team, which is a huge boost as he was an inspirational leader. Kohli did a great job of using the outside noise of the press in the cricket news to motivate his players. Whenever they were written off, he lifted his side to prove people wrong. You could also see on the field how much each win meant to him.
Not only is Kohli a great captain, but he also remains in good form with the bat. The pressure of being captain has not weighed him down like other players in the past. This India team should go on to have a lot of success at Test cricket. Their next challenge will be to become the number one ranked team in the world, a goal that is within their reach.
