Ind vs Ban: Strategic analysis: Can India overcome early new ball struggles in the second test?

India continued their home dominance in Tests with a commanding 280-run win over Bangladesh at Chepauk, going 1-0 up in the two-match series. After being asked to bat in overcast conditions, India found themselves in trouble at 144/6. However, a brilliant 199-run partnership between Ravindra Jadeja (86) and Ravichandran Ashwin (113) helped India post a formidable 376. Bangladesh's Hasan Mahmud made history, claiming a fifer, but their batters faltered in reply, managing only 149, with Jasprit Bumrah leading India's charge with 4/50.

India’s second innings saw centuries from Shubman Gill (119*) and Rishabh Pant (109), setting a daunting target of 515 for Bangladesh. Despite a solid start from Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam, Bangladesh’s batters struggled against India's spinners. Najmul Hossain Shanto fought valiantly with 82, but Ashwin’s 6/88, equaling Shane Warne’s record of 37 five-wicket hauls, sealed a comprehensive victory for India. Ravindra Jadeja also contributed with three wickets, ensuring a strong start to India’s home Test season.

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How India's Batters Falter Against the New Ball in Tests

The graphic highlights India's struggles against Bangladesh’s new-ball bowlers in the first 15 overs of their first innings in the Chepauk Test. It visually represents the False Shot Induced Rate (FSIR), which measures how often Indian batters were induced into playing false shots, defined as the number of false shots per number of balls faced. This metric is broken down based on different bowling lines, helping identify where the Bangladesh seamers had the most impact.

The chart is divided into four distinct zones, each representing different lines where deliveries were pitched. The outside-off stump zone (represented on the left) indicates deliveries bowled wide outside the off stump. The false shot rate for this zone is marked NAN, which suggests that no false shots were induced from deliveries in this area, perhaps because the deliveries were too wide for the batters to engage.

In the good length zone (just outside the off-stump), the false shot rate is 4.4%. This area was more effective for the Bangladesh seamers, inducing several mistakes from the Indian batters. The high percentage indicates that deliveries in this line posed significant problems for India’s top order, likely contributing to their early struggles.

The middle and off-stump region had a false shot rate of 3.3%. This central zone represents a line where the Bangladesh bowlers applied steady pressure. The slightly lower percentage compared to the good length outside off-stump suggests that Indian batters were somewhat more composed when defending their stumps but still vulnerable.

On the leg-stump line, the false shot rate drops to 3.0%. Although this area induced fewer mistakes, it indicates that India’s batters occasionally played false shots when deliveries were aimed at their pads. However, this zone was the least problematic for the Indian lineup, as it allowed them to play more confidently on the leg side.

Overall, the image shows that India’s batters struggled most with deliveries in the good length region just outside off-stump during the first 15 overs. This vulnerability to movement outside off-stump contributed to their precarious start and highlights an area they need to address in the upcoming Test to avoid similar issues against Bangladesh’s seam attack.

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