Another 350+, Another Slip? India’s Test Defense Under the Microscope

As a cricket fan, there are few experiences quite as thrilling as watching your team defend a large fourth-innings total. You have hope, the numbers, and the historical performances on your side…until they bat as if it is a net session. This is the emotional seesaw that Indian fans are currently riding in the 1st Test at Leeds. With England chasing 371, the question that is being asked is: Wait, how many times has India lost when they set a target for 350+? You would assume that it would be high given the randomness of cricket, but maybe you will be surprised by India’s record.

India’s Fortress: Defending Big Totals Isn’t New

Let’s get this out of the way: India has been solid at defending fourth-innings targets higher than 350. Going into the ongoing Leeds Test, India have been in this position 59 times before – and they’ve won 42. That’s a win ratio of greater than 71%, which is not just good, it’s elite-level domination.

Even more surprisingly, India has only lost once when they have set a fourth-innings target greater than 350; and yes, that loss was to England! That is the Test in Edgbaston 2022, where England chased 378 after sensational centuries by Root and Bairstow.

Also read:- How Zak Crawley Became Bazball’s Straight Man — And Why That’s a Good Thing

The Edgbaston Echo: Why England’s the Thorn in the Side

There is something about England that often seems to expose the shortcomings in India’s fourth-innings defensive approach. That defeat at Edgbaston was no accident – it was a revelation. Under the Bazball regime, England have shown that they will never be concerned about any chase, no matter how daunting. They do not just knock on the door – they knock it down.

And now history appears to be threatening to repeat itself at Headingley. With Duckett and Crawley forming an 188-run opening stand and now Root has arrived, England is beginning to look eerily familiar to that 2022 campaign. While India’s wicket-taking options have plenty of talent, they have looked surprisingly impotent in the face of what remains an attackless display of intelligence from England’s middle-order batting. With 158 left and eight wickets in hand, England is, quite literally, cruising.

For the fans, this is a painful case of déjà vu. Different year, similar chaos. And in a similar pattern to Edgbaston, they will watch as a basis of dominance slips away at the hands of an English top order with no consequence.

When the Ball Doesn’t Talk, the Runs Do

The harsh reality is that defending big totals is not just about scoreboard pressure but execution! Although India has bowlers such as Siraj, Bumrah, and Jadeja, they have not pressed the button when it has counted.

In the current Test, despite setting 371, it should have been England under scoreboard pressure, but India were the team who were tight, reactive, and one step behind. Following a lack of early wickets, without favorable field placings or an ability to stem the flow of runs, it was all too easy for England. It is equally about the numbers on the scoreboard down the other end, alongside your ability to apply pressure. This is where India has come up short, not for the first time.

It’s not about talent; it’s tactical adaptability. And as it stands, England seems to have that right now.

As we wait for the outcome, let’s ask this question: Is it time for India to reconsider their defensive tactics for a fourth innings, especially against teams that are looking to attack, like England? Or is this just a team running into a Bazball buzzsaw?