In a thrilling display of skill and strategy, Josh Tongue emerged as a pivotal figure in England’s recent victory over India at Headingley. The prodigious young bowler—an emerging phenom himself—claimed three of the last four wickets in each innings. He exhibited his tremendous skill at tearing through the tailenders. This one innings victory earned England the Test match win. It underscored the importance of their overall strategy as they look to find success during the Ashes series.
Historically, this has been the sector that England have had the most difficulty controlling in Test matches. During the previous cycle of the World Test Championship, they ranked sixth worst at removing tailenders, conceding an average of 87.04 runs after the sixth wicket fell. Their series results weighed heavily upon this element. Even their recent performance against New Zealand saw them concede at an average of 61.92 runs per game. Take advantage of this Achilles heel and flip the script! It could be crucial to how well they fare in their future fixtures, most importantly this winter’s Ashes campaign.
Tongue’s impressive bowling performance was complemented by Ben Stokes’ enthusiastic gestures during the match, likening Tongue’s efforts to “gobbling up rabbit pie.” This metaphor brought some levity to the scene, setting a more comfortable tone. Simultaneously, it underlined the acute necessity for England to be able to dismiss lower-order batsmen if they are to prosper in search of consistency.
The match provided an especially vivid backdrop to recall the perils that athletes encounter on the pitch. In 2018, it almost all came crashing down for Jofra Archer with a life-threatening injury. He was hit on the head while batting during a County Championship game. These crashes expose the failure of today’s protective equipment including helmets and padding. Even though these things were designed to protect the players, they paradoxically placed players in greater danger from fast bowling.
Against the spectacular backdrop of England’s fightback, the nut that India couldn’t crack was their inability to deal with the opposition’s tail. It wasn’t just the top-order—the lower-order batsmen stood out. Scott Boland was a useful nightwatchman, scoring 20 runs off 40 balls, with Pat Cummins remaining unbeaten on 44 off 73. Their efforts weren’t enough. Nathan Lyon chipped in with 16 runs off 28 deliveries, but their contributions came too little too late as Australia lost the match. Jasprit Bumrah might have felt a little more at home on Sunday, when a proper heavy ball from Tongue took out his middle stump. This point perfectly illustrates how India’s bowlers have struggled against England’s high-octane batting order.
Injuries hit their bowling unit incredibly hard. Mohammad Siraj had left the field in evident agony, twisting his hand after gloving a bouncer to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. Plus, Shardul Thakur added tooth to that weakness, nailing his own coffin after nicking a full away swinger to first slip.
As the series wears on, England’s confidence and competence in dealing with the lower-order batsmen will be a key factor. Their impressive defeat of the team from India gave them the momentum of a winning streak. They need to build on this success with momentum to do even better. Tongue’s performance can be seen as a watershed moment in terms of playing in a different manner against the tail for this team. England can greatly increase their chances of success by fixing this area of weakness. This change will be beneficial for them not just during the Ashes but in subsequent internationals.
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