By Matt Hardy
Just a tick over 4,000 days ago Ian Bell’s 116 and Joe Root’s 20 not out helped England to a draw in Nagpur in the final Test of a four-match series that saw the tourists win 2-1 against India.
And more than 10 years on it remains the last bilateral series victory for England as a travelling side in the cricketing powerhouse.
In the two series hosted by India since, India have won 4-0 and 3-1 – the solitary victory coming in the first Test in Chennai when Root knocked 258 runs in his two innings in 2021.
India is a brutal place to tour; their pitches differ vastly from region to region, the travelling takes its toll and the crowds are hostile (in the very, very best way).
So for head coach Brendon McCullum and his England Test side it is a challenge that will see them scale and overcome, psychologically and physically in fact, the Himalayas.
England ins and outs
Bazball has been revolutionary for England, turning around dire fortunes and replacing them with a team that – even in defeat – entertains.
But replicating that style of cricket in places like India – and Australia, during the next Ashes series in 2025 – is another matter.
And the tourists have not had it mostly their way – except with the absence of Virat Kohli for the opening two Tests – despite a ball not being bowled yet.
First, star England batter Harry Brook withdrew from the squad due to personal reasons, though he may make a return later in the series.
The 24-year-old Yorkshire player boasts an average of 62.15 from his 12 Tests, with the right-hander scoring over 1,100 runs in his short international career.
Replacing the youngster is Surrey’s Dan Lawrence, who has a worse average and run rate but who is a safe bet for England with the 26-year old hardly new to first-class cricket.
Bashir left waiting
But this week England were hit with another blow after the highly rated youngster Shoaib Bashir, an off-break bowler with just six professional matches to his name, remained grounded in the United Arab Emirates – where the tourists were training before a final flight to India – before returning to the United Kingdom waiting for a visa reportedly due to his Pakistani origins.
This isn’t new for visiting teams to India, though. Australia opener Usman Khawaja, a Pakistan born player, faced a delayed visa approval last year and Englishman Saqib Mahmood, who has Pakistani heritage, was confronted by issues on the second-tier Lions tour to the country.
Deep criticism
There has been deep criticism of the events, with some speculating that links to Pakistan – through heritage or birth – may be playing a part in visa issues.
Rehan Ahmed, the young bowler of Pakistani heritage, had no issue with his visa due to his involvement as a standby player at the ODI World Cup in 2023.
It is a situation which damages the Test series before it even begins, with hosts India coming under significant pressure due to their apparent snubbing of players with links to a geographical neighbour they’ve had historic tensions with.
Hoodoo
But many people talk on and on about how politics and sport are related so this must surely be seen as just another mistake or accident based on unfortunate circumstances, right?
Whatever it is, McCullum, captain Ben Stokes and the wider squad will need to put it all to one side and aim to undo a decade of defeat on the subcontinent.
England want to get the hoodoo of Indian dominance off their backs in this series but the reality is that they’ll take a couple of wins on overseas soil as a just result.
Should they win the Test series over in India, it’ll be one of the most significant in modern times, and maybe ever, for the tourists and it will by far be the most impressive Bazball triumph so far.
No pressure for tomorrow’s opener in Hyderabad, then.
