India v England, 1st Test Day Five: Five Things We Learned

India and England leave Rajkot with a draw but the tourists have more to cheer. Here’s what we learned from the final day of the first Test…

MAN OF THE DAY – ALASTAIR COOK (130)

The juggernaut keeps on rolling. It feels like we are waxing lyrical about the remarkable run-scoring feats of Alastair Cook at every turn and that is because every turn takes him into unchartered territory. He was fluent this morning, even driving through the covers with ease and, with a push to long on off his 194th ball, he had his 30th Test century, going past Don Bradman on 29. It was also his fifth hundred in India – the most by any visiting player – and his ninth in Asia. Just to top it all off, it was his 12th as captain, overtaking his mentor Graham Gooch who had the previous record of 11. Oh, and he danced down the track and hit Ravi Ashwin inside out over cover for four, to a ball that pitch well outside leg stump for a laugh.

FOUR SHORT

In the end, England could only manage six wickets, as they fell short of what would have been one of their best overseas wins. It would be churlish to say that the pitch won out in the end because both sides had the chance to make something of this match. It’s worth remembering that had India taken their chances on day one - three catches were dropped in the first 30-minutes - they could have controlled the game. England, too, have drops to rue - Cook shelling Ashwin, which would have saved 30 runs and, as a result, a few overs - along with a period in their first innings, after lunch on day two, when they came more or less to a halt in an attempt to take time out of the game. Cook was always going to set a declaration skewed in England’s favour but, regardless of the 310 target, 49 overs to take 10 wickets was simply not enough.

ENGLAND BLUNT ASHWIN

After two for 167 in his first innings, Ashwin managed just one in the second. Despite the pitch turning more on days four and five, while still offering a bit of extra bounce, it was only with the last delivery of his 23.3 overs – when Cook was hitting out – that he took a wicket. Coming into the tour, he was the feared man, and he will almost certainly have his say going forward: Vizag, the venue for the second Test, is expected to spin prodigiously and the number one ranked Test bowler will be keen to make amends for his poor return here. But England have played him superbly well and will take that confidence into the next four matches. As it happens, the 195 runs between his second wicket in the first innings and the sole wicket in the second is the biggest gap he has experienced in his Test career.

CHANGES FOR INDIA

Injuries to Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan meant India had to rethink their strategy going into this series. With Sharma out of the middle order, they went for an extra spin option in Amit Mishra. It’s safe to say that did not work: Mishra’s inability to hold up an end allowed England’s batsmen to just focus on ticking over against Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja. As for Gautam Gambhir, he was only really keeping a spot warm. With Rahul set to play the in the next round of Ranji Trophy matches, it is not clear whether he will be ready in time for the next Test. But changes are necessary for the host. England won’t mind at all if they name an unchanged side.

WHAT NEXT

For England, it has been a very good start to the series. With questions over how well they’ll cope on big turners against superior players, they have out-batted and out-bowled India. Hameed’s runs coupled with the consistency that Rashid and Zafar Ansari displayed leaves the tourists in a good head space for the next four Tests. They will have one big question to answer – should they recall James Anderson? Having worked hard on his fitness as Loughborough, where he bowled 30-overs outdoors thanks to a state-of-the-art tent, he is available for selection for the second Test. However, with spin expected to play an important part, England should perhaps persist with their three-and-three ploy of quicks and spinners and give Anderson another week to sharpen up further. That way, he can come back in for the third, which is followed by a week off, before the final two Tests.