In a surprising statistical twist ahead of the ongoing India vs England Test in Manchester, England’s lower-order batters, Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Jofra Archer, collectively boast more first-class runs than India’s top four. While batting depth has always been one of England’s strengths in home conditions, this striking comparison underscores the contrasting make-up of the two teams.
England’s No.8 to No.11 feature players like Dawson and Woakes, who are seasoned county cricketers with years of domestic experience under their belt. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Dawson, in particular, is known for his all-around abilities and has scored 10,731 runs in the first-class format. Chris Woakes, too, has amassed 6,800 runs, making him a reliable option even when batting deep. Jofra Archer (9,200 runs) and Brydon Carse (5,412), while primarily pacers, have contributed crucial lower-order runs for their domestic sides.On the other hand, India’s top four, Yashasvi Jaiswal (4,055 runs), KL Rahul (7,873 runs), Sai Sudharsan (1,987 runs), and Shubman Gill (5,194 runs), are relatively less experienced in first-class cricket compared to their English counterparts.
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Who do you think has the stronger batting depth in the ongoing Test series?
While KL Rahul brings Test experience and a few big knocks to the table, both Jaiswal and Sudharsan are still early in their red-ball careers. Shubman Gill, the captain, is still searching for consistency in the longer format despite his immense talent.Teams for the Test:India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (w), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.England (Playing XI):Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (w), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.England lead the series 2-1, and the depth in their batting lineup could play a crucial role as the Test unfolds. For India, the challenge will be to ensure their top-order fires to avoid early pressure against England’s relentless pace attack.
