Chennai Test: 10 reasons behind India's massive loss against England  

England, who had posted a mammoth 578 in the first innings, bowled India out for 337 but opted against enforcing the follow-on at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on Day 4. The tourists had walked out to bat instead and were bowled out for 178 an hour before stumps, baffling many by their refusal to declare which would have given them more time to bowl out India.


India were bowled out for 192 on the fifth and final day of the first Test in Chennai, losing by 227 runs against England on Tuesday.

They lost five wickets in the morning session as James Anderson (3/17) bowled a vintage spell of reverse swing. Virat Kohli (72) and Shubman Gill (50) were the highest scorers in the fourth innings. England which had posted a mammoth 578 in the first innings, bowled India out for 337 but opted against enforcing the follow-on at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on Day 4. The tourists walked out to bat instead and were bowled out for 178 an hour before stumps, baffling many by their refusal to declare which would have given them more time to bowl out India.

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Not too many people would have expected an India loss in the first Test of their four Test series vs England in Chennai. After all, Team India had just pulled off a huge series win in Australia and this time they had the advantage of playing under home conditions.

Here are 10 reasons that led to India’s loss against England in Chennai Test:

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1. Toss - With England captain Joe Root claiming that they were aiming for 600-700 in the first innings. The skipper made the right decision of opting to bat first and setting a huge score of 578 runs for the Indian team. England batted for 190.1 overs in their first innings before being bowled out.

2. Chennai Pitch - The Pitch was very good to bat but was hard for the Indian bowlers on a flat track to keep the pace. It was a slow pitch and helped England keep the scoreboard ticking. However, India did manage to bowl out England in their first innings.

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3. England batting Prowess - Rory Burns and Dom Sibley gave England a steady start and scored 33 and 87 runs for the team, later joined by Joe Root who scored 218 runs in the first innings giving Indian bowlers a hard time. Ben Stokes (82) and Root then added 124 for the fourth wicket. These two partnerships took the wind out of India's sails. Some very useful contributions by the likes of Ollie Pope (34), Jos Buttler (30) and Dom Bess (34) continued to frustrate the hosts and took the visitors to a very big first innings total, which is always a huge psychological edge.

4. Joe Root’s powerful performance - Joe Root scored a total of 426 runs on England's tour of Sri Lanka and finished as the highest run getter, at an average of 106.50 and a highest score of 228. He had two centuries on the tour of the Emerald Isles and he brought that form lock stock and barrel into the India series. He scored a majestic 218 off 377 balls in the first innings in Chennai. His knock was pivotal for the visitors and helped England hold the upper hand in the contest right from Day one. Root in fact became the first cricketer to score a double century in his 100th Test match.

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5. James Anderson - England's all time highest wicket taker and the pacer with the most wickets ever in Test cricket history is just getting better with age. He might not have the same pace he had as a younger bowler, but Anderson can be lethal in any given scenario and in any conditions. On Day five, his first over broke the back of the Indian second innings, when he removed a well set Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane in the space of four deliveries. He then came back to send the dangerous Rishabh Pant back to the hut for just 11 to reduce India to 110/5. Overall Anderson finished with match figures of 5/63.

6. India conceding first innings lead - Thanks to England's big first innings score, India were under pressure from there on. Overhauling 578, especially when the opposition has the likes of Anderson and Archer in their ranks. India managed to get to 337 in their first innings, thanks largely to the knocks played by Cheteshwar Pujara (73), Rishabh Pant (91) and Washington Sundar (85).

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7. Rohit Sharma's form - India would have expected more from Rohit Sharma at the top of the innings. His two scores in the Chennai Test were 6 and 12. India couldn't get off to a solid start off the first wicket in either innings.

8. Ajinkya Rahane's form - The Indian Test Vice captain hardly troubled the scorers in Chennai in the first Test. Coming in at number 5, Rahane's big responsibility was to secure one end, which he couldn't do. In the first innings he walked out with the scoreboard reading 71/3 and made 1 run. In the second innings, when India were facing 420 and in desperate need to grind out the English bowlers, Rahane fell for a duck. In his defense it was a terrific delivery by James Anderson.

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9. England spinners troubled Indian batsmen - That Indian batsmen are usually very good players of spin bowling is very well known, especially in home conditions. In that context English spinners Dom Bess and Jack Leach, who were touring India for the first time did very well. Between the two bowlers they took 11 of the 20 Indian wickets that fell.

10. Sundar and Nadeem were not able to do much - Except R Ashwin, India's other spinners looked rather toothless for the most part. The reason why India played three spinners was to trouble the English batsmen. Ashwin, as usual, was fantastic and finished with 9 wickets in the match, including a 6 wicket haul in England's second innings. However, Shahbaz Nadeem, a last minute addition to the playing XI, after Axar Patel was ruled out with a knee niggle, took 4 wickets in the match (2 in each England innings). Washington Sundar, who retained his place in the team perhaps based more on his batting skills than his bowling prowess didn't take a single wicket. 
 

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