England’s first day at the Test match against India was full of hope and excitement. Josh Tongue’s bowling was the remarkable element that drew in the most casual fans. Despite the initial shock, Tongue impressed with some critical wickets, serving notice of his potential. Yet his ridiculous lines and unpredictability made many doubt his performance and the game’s rhythm.
On a pitch that showed 8mm of grass, England’s bowlers were meant to thrive and take advantage of the conditions. Unfortunately for Tongue, that brought up his nightmare bowling statistics and an incredibly tough day at the office. That even while bowling 20% of his deliveries down the leg side. Whatever their plans, only 12% hit the stumps, the second lowest percentage in any innings for the series. This impotency was a cause for concern as he has at times been the most effective key bowler for England.
Tongue had also begun with a rather inauspicious first over, leaking 11 runs from wides alone. This performance would set the tone for a performance that struggled to find his rhythm from the start. He got rid of Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja with superb, incisive yorkers. Despite his inconsistency, this was a game that showed what he can do and really flashed his potential.
Sudharsan certainly deserved his place after fighting valiantly for 38 runs from 107 balls. For all his vision and gumption, he was fired. Tongue’s delivery that took Sudharsan’s edge was the pick of the bunch — a good length ball that nipped away from the left-hander. This was one of the rare occasions where Tongue showed the fearlessness that makes him so exciting to watch when it’s conducive to bowling.
In much the same vein, Tongue’s wicket of Ravindra Jadeja was a product of him trying to hone that narrow channel outside off-stump with deadly accuracy. After Jadeja scored just nine runs, Tongue expressed a sheepish giggle, seemingly unaware of what was coming next after securing the wicket.
Former England batter Sir Alastair Cook commented on Tongue’s capacity to disrupt India’s batting approach, stating, “Tongue made India do things they don’t want to do.” This sentiment was echoed by Michael Vaughan, who noted that despite Tongue’s inconsistency, he appeared formidable to face: “Tongue looked like the bowler I would least like to face.”
As Vaughan highlighted, it was England’s bowlers themselves – Tongue and Jamie Overton included – who provided next to nothing in the way of consistent control. He remarked, “He has bowled a couple of absolute jaffas, but liquorice all sorts is what we used to call them when you’re bowling like that.” Vaughan elaborated on the mental toll such inconsistency can take on opposing batsmen, saying, “You think there’s plenty of opportunities to score, but because it could be anywhere it really upsets your rhythm.”
England’s bowlers were expected to capitalize on the pitch’s seam movement and swing. Vaughan suggested that the team would have expected to bowl India out under these conditions: “England, if they’re being brutally honest with themselves…there’s been enough seam movement and swing that they would’ve fancied bowling India out today.” He concluded by expressing that had two bowlers performed at a level similar to Gus Atkinson’s capabilities, India might have faced greater difficulties.
As the day wore on, Tongue’s display was representative of the erratic displays that England’s downed bowling attack has served up all summer long. As the Test match unfolds, everyone will be looking to see if he can deliver when the pressure is on. The cost of failure is considerable when going up against an emboldened Indian side.
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