India won the second Test match against England by 246 runs. Indian captain Virat Kohli had a great 50th Test as he played two match-winning innings in the match. He scored 167 runs in the first innings and 81 runs in the second innings-both in pressure cooker situations. R Ashwin did great with the bat as he scored a half-century and then he got 8 wickets in the match. Virat Kohli was adjudged the man of the match. Indeed they were match winning performances. But here we are missing a really important part of the team while giving credits- its tail.
The tailenders have been very impressive in this match and the series. Though their personal contributions with the bat have not been big in terms of numbers, they clicked when the team needed the most. The extra 50 runs they have been able to add to the team total has been the different maker.
Take this match for instance. In the first innings, the last three batsmen added 55 runs in the team total. In the second innings also, they made a crucial 46 runs. The magnitude of their contribution can be gauged from the fact that India were bowled out for 204 runs. If it were not for the great Indian tail, India might not have the momentum in the match.
In the first match also, the last four batsmen scored 60 runs in the first innings when India were trying to surpass England’s huge total of 537 runs. These 60 runs were a physiological advantage for India over England.
In the second Test match against New Zealand recently, the last four batsmen in the Indian line up scored 87 runs. India’s total in the first innings was 316 runs. In their second innings, the last four batsmen scored 88 runs out of 263 runs.
These little contributions the player made helped India to consolidate their position in the matches. On all these occasions, these contributions were match-saving. It won’t be wrong to say that Indian tailenders are one of the best in the world.
