In 1936-37, the Australian team led by the great Sir Donald Bradman came back from being 2-0 down to England and win the Ashes. Can Virat Kohli and his team emulate that on this English tour and win the Pataudi Cup for India?
The Indian team staged a remarkable recovery after being beaten in the first two tests in a row. The scrappy defeat at Edgbaston was followed by an outright rout at Lord’s. To come back from a defeat by an innings and 159 runs in three and a half days, and win a test match by a large margin, is sure to restore the team’s morale. The boost should be good enough to motivate the team to achieve a feat that has been achieved only once before in test cricket.
In early December 1936, England touring Australia for the Ashes, won the first test played at the Gabba, Brisbane by a margin of 322 runs. In the second innings, the Australians were dismissed for a paltry 58 runs with Bradman contributing 38 and 0 runs. The second test at the Sydney cricket ground was worse as Australia lost by an innings and 22 runs. Bradman was out for a first ball duck and scored a fighting 80 in the second to no avail.
Australia levelled the series with a good rebound in the third match which was rain affected. Australia declared at 200 for 9. England too declared at 76 for 9 on the unplayable pitch, the first time that two teams had declared in the first innings. Bradman reversed the batting order of his team, sending in the tail-enders first. He went in at the fall of the fifth wicket and scored a scorching 270 to take a lead to 688 and win the test by 365 runs.
The fourth test saw Bradman scoring another double-hundred, 212 runs, again in the second innings and defeating England by 148 runs. The greatest batsman of all time wasn’t finished yet. In the final test at Melbourne, he scored a chanceless 169 to lead Australia to an innings and 200 runs victory. No team in the history of cricket had come back from two test losses to win a five test series. None has done so since.
There is no reason why Virat Kohli and his men, having come back strongly from a very sticky situation in some style, should not play to win in this series. Though the captain himself has been outstanding even when the team was defeated, the other batsmen also seem to have come to grips with countering the English bowling attack and the conditions of play.
The Indian bowlers have proved that they are no less lethal than their English counterparts and excelled in the Trent Bridge test. The pitch at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, is considered as more batsman-friendly than the ones the Indians have played on so far. The spinners too could likely be in with a chance. The Indian team should have a go at equalling the record.
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