Anderson swings it for England at Chepauk

In a sensational spell of classic fast bowling where swing and reverse swing were the vital ingredients, old warhorse James Anderson broke the backbone of the Indian batting to seal a sensational 227-run win for England at the Chepauk in the first Test.

Anderson, age 38, showed that even on a final day pitch which resembled a veritable dustbowl, he could show his cunning with the red cherry as the Three Lions roared and hunted the Indians down in Chennai.

Having been ”quiet” in the first innings, Jimmy, as he is popularly known, was in awesome form. His bowling analysis of 11-4-17-3 will be remembered for long as he treated the audience to some scintillating stuff. It was Anderson who set up the win on the final day, even though spinner Jack Leach finished with a four-wicket haul.

From the highs of Brisbane, so recently, to the lows of Chennai, it was heartbreak for the Indian cricket fans. There is no doubt if there is one man who deserves praise for leading England from the front, it is skipper Joe Root. His double hundred in the first innings was a monument built on patience, technique and the willingness to tackle the spinners without any fear.

There is something refreshing about Root the batsman and the leader. Having been to Sri Lanka before this tour and won the series there 2-0, he had fired up the team. Yet, to come to India and knock the stuffing out of Team India on the fifth day was yet again a great advertisement that Test cricket is alive and kicking.

This England side is full of hardcore professionals where each member showed he was willing to play his part. If Leach had the Indians on a  leash, Dominic Bess was the best in the first innings as he grabbed the vital wicket of Virat Kohli in the first innings.

On the final day, Kohli scored 72 in the second innings and was out to Ben Stokes. To some it may appear he has returned to form  but in the larger frame, there will be criticism for the Indian skipper, who is back from paternity leave.

Social media and other groups are already cracking jokes on how Kohli should go back to paternity leave. The criticism may seem unfair but that is what it is when you are leading the cricket team of a nation where everyone is an expert. On Monday, during a chat shown on Doordarshan, former India all-rounder and member of the 1983 World Cup winning squad, Madan Lal spoke of how India could one day look at split captaincy in the future.

Comparisons with Ajinkya Rahane, who lead with panache in Australia will be made. One cannot stop those comparisons. However, what hurt India at Chepauk is how the two walls — Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara — were not able to show their usual tight defence and stay at the crease for hours. That is what the situation demanded

In batting, in the first innings, Rishabh Pant and local hero Washington Sundar showed a willingness to score runs even under pressure. Of course, the workload shouldered by R.Ashwin in bowling and batting was a story of how important this man is to Team India.

So what happens in the second Test, to be played at the same venue. The wicket was poor for the first Test and the curator needs to be told when India lose the toss, they can also fall to spin. Kohli needs to show he can lead in such tight situations as the momentum has been snatched away from India.

For those who feel Pant is useless with the gloves, he has shown his value with the runs he scores. Does Kuldeep Yadav need to be drafted in? Yes, but at whose expense?

And yes, one hopes Rohit Sharma returns to form and also works on his catching. He cannot survive on reputation alone forever.