Manchester, July 18: As India prepares for the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Old Trafford, a troubling trend continues to haunt their campaign in England — the recurring loss of key wickets either just before or right after scheduled breaks in play.
From lunch to tea, and even the end-of-day stumps, these interruptions have seen Indian batters falter at critical junctures, allowing England to claw back momentum and shift the tide of matches.
During the third Test at Lord’s, the impact of poor timing was particularly evident. Rishabh Pant’s run-out — just three balls before lunch on day three — triggered a domino effect. KL Rahul fell soon after the break, and Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja followed in quick succession, both edging behind within minutes of returning from interval breaks. Jadeja’s dismissal, in particular, set off a collapse that saw India lose their final four wickets for just 11 runs.The slide didn’t stop there. On day four, India lost three wickets in 31 deliveries during a dramatic last-hour burst, falling from 41 for 1 to 58 for 4. Then, on the final morning, three more batters departed within 23 balls. Reddy fell four deliveries before lunch, just when he and Jadeja appeared to be steadying the innings.The pattern wasn’t new. Similar collapses around breaks were seen in the opening Test at Headingley. KL Rahul and debutant B Sai Sudharsan fell in quick succession right before lunch on day one. Yashasvi Jaiswal perished in the second over after tea.
Day two saw a dramatic collapse from 447 for 4 to 471 all out, with six wickets falling across the lunch interval. To make matters worse, Sai Sudharsan fell three overs before stumps on the third day, and Shubman Gill was dismissed in the very first over the next morning.
India’s support staff, including batting coaches Sitanshu Kotak and Ryan ten Doeschate, have been examining the trend closely. Speaking at India’s training session in Beckenham, ten Doeschate acknowledged the challenge. “You’ve got to weigh up — is it coincidence or a deeper issue? Are we losing focus or getting complacent in strong positions?” he said. “It’s something we’ve been addressing.”Pant’s run-out at Lord’s, while unfortunate, also stemmed from a moment of over-eagerness. KL Rahul admitted post-match that he was chasing his hundred (on 97 at the time), and that moment of lapse altered the game’s direction. Shubman Gill, reflecting on the loss, described it as simply an “error of judgement.”
The staff, including ten Doeschate, were left stunned by the incident. “I was throwing balls at the back at Lord’s when Pant got run out and was incredulous. You couldn’t believe it had happened again,” he said. “Every ball is important, and the messaging throughout has been: let’s try to win every single event — every ball — not look too far ahead or behind.” (Agencies)
