Time for Jasprit Bumrah and Shubman Gill magic in England

A lot can change in 15 months. When England visited India for a full Test series last year, they lost 1-4. It was, indeed, a spineless performance. At home, and starting in Leeds, England, under Ben Stokes, will be fired up as they take on India in a new era and under a new captain – Shubman Gill.

Indeed, the focus in the new ICC Test cycle is how India, notably the BCCI, has decided not to stick with the ‘oldies’ and plump for younger faces. Not all of them are proven customers, yet, a beginning had to be made. A fresh dawn, a new sunrise, Team India under Gill the leader and coach Gautam Gambhir have a lot to prove in England.

On Thursday, there was a remarkable calm as Shubman Gill spoke to Sky Sports TV on his role as the new leader of India in Test cricket. Gill looked comfortable, fronting questions on Bazball and how the series will pan out. Rightly, he said, one has to wait till August to see which brand of cricket is more effective, Bazball, or what his own boys will produce.

For sure, England fear speedster Jasprit Bumrah. If you go through the respectable English websites, there is a common thread, even in three Tests, which is the maximum load Bumrah will shoulder, he can torment the English batters. Imagine, in terms of longevity, Bumrah is nowhere near James Anderson, after whom the trophy has been named for this series, with Sachin Tendulkar also adding his name.

Sachin spoke on how big this is for him, his name to be part of a trophy, where the Tiger Pataudi legacy has almost been wiped out. Sachin clarified, as much as he is happy his name figures in the name for the news trophy – Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy – he was also anxious the name of ‘Pataudi Sir’ should not be forgotten. For old-timers who grew up or at least had heard of Pataudi, his fielding skills and captaincy, even with ‘one’eye,’ he remains a legend.

For Sachin to pick up his cell phone, call the Pataudi family and tell them the name of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi will still be there as a medal for the winning captain of this series, can be appreciated. It shows, Sachin values legacy, something which is old school. The same, however, cannot be said of those who decided to jettison the name of Pataudi from the trophy, be it the BCCI or ECB.

Back to Sachin and Anderson, they will be watching from beyond the boundary as Bumrah teases and torments the Englishmen. Skipper Ben Stokes has spoken in recent interviews, how the first few deliveries/overs which Bumrah fires with that short-action where he loads and then explodes, he can be a ‘killer.” No war-like connotation this, but Bumrah, even in a condensed form, where he should be a ‘shock bowler’ and not a stock bowler can make that Duke red cherry look so menacing. For those who think he will be ‘overloaded’ with bowling, don’t expect him to bowl more than 12 to 14 overs a day. It is time for the support cast to step up, be it Arshdeep Singh or a Mohd Siraj. Swing more than pace and bounce will be important to showcase in England. What combination India go in with will be known on Friday afternoon when Gill goes for the toss.

This is, indeed, a new dawn. Yes, the hangover from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will not go away so soon. Kohli, in particular, will be missed, even though so many heartless hacks have rubbished him for his weakness outside the off-stump. There was nothing left for Kohli to prove, so if he watches the Test matches on TV in London or even decides to show up at the Test venues, five in all, he will want to see India do well.

For those who know a thing or two about transition, what will be important is how Gill the batter shapes up. Gill has to take on the captaincy role where the grammar of his own batting will be important. He has the experience and to translate that in England will be important. It is well-known, the Englishmen are not hyping this series far too much. Nor are they using this as a build-up for the Ashes.

Yes, there is a mention of Bazball and at the same time a tacit admission their own fast bowling attack looks raw. Famous names have retired and the absence of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer makes it worse. In English conditions, their Young Turks who use the new ball will be interesting to see, though one man who can be dangerous is Shoaib Bashir, the smart spinner of Pakistan origin.

Where this series will be fought boils down to temperament and spine. If Gill can infuse that fighting spirit in the boys, it will be good. As a captain, one has seen him lead in the Indian Premier League for Gujarat Titans. Be sure, Gill will plan and execute on the field, if his stint as GT captain is anything to go by. Knowing the Punjabi batter, he will not allow himself to be remote-controlled by that perpetual frown, Gautam Gambhir.