4th Test: Tactical mistake by MS Dhoni puts India on mat

Zee Media Bureau/Chaitan Papnai

New Delhi: In overcast conditions, it`s always safe to bowl first. But on-filed gambler, MS Dhoni, won the toss at Old Trafford Thursday and decided to bat first under cloud covers. When you are playing in England against the home side, chances are higher that their seamers can give you a run for your money and overcast conditions are like icing on the cake for them. And that`s what exactly happened with India on day one of the fourth Test at Manchester.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad exploited the conditions well and played a major role in bundling out India for a modest total of 152 runs. Broad drew the first blood by scalping the wicket of Gautam Gambhir in the fourth over of the innings. After which Anderson bowled two outstanding out-swingers to get the better of Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli in the next over, with a gap of one ball – and the rest was history.

Only three Indian batsmen reached the two figure mark. Moreover, six Indian batsmen got out for a duck, to match the world record. But, by the time England came in to bat in their first innings, the weather had changed as sun was shining bright and ball wasn`t doing much by then.

One tactical mistake by the Indian skipper during the toss and India paid heavily for it, at least in the first innings. Now a resurgent England are well in control of the match, as the hosts are trailing by mere 39 runs in their first innings and have seven wickets in hand.

At the moment the five-match long series is well poised at 1-1, but after the end of first day of the fourth Test at Manchester, it seemed as if the tourists are on the mat and need some divine intervention to win the Test, or for that matter to draw it.