INDIA were completely outplayed and suffered their second most humiliating defeat to the high-flying Englishmen who registered a comprehensive victory by an innings and 242 runs at Edgbaston, Birmingham yesterday. With an unassailable 3-0 lead, England moved to the top of the ICC Test rankings and displaced the Indians who occupied that spot for the last twenty months since the rankings were introduced by the world’s governing body.
Victory for the Andrew Strauss’s meant that they had clinched the four-match Test series by more than the two-match margin they needed to replace India at the summit of Test cricket.
Their comprehensive victory catapulted England to the top position for the first time since the ICC Test rankings started in 2003.
India’s period atop the ICC Test table had started in December 2009 when they beat Sri Lanka 2-0 in a three-Test series.
England’s arch-rivals Australia had held the topmost position until India overhauled them in the ratings which have been a subject of much speculation and debate as to its true merit in granting points to teams and players.
But followers of the game have had to accept the routine releases made on ICC’s website.
The buoyant Englishmen celebrated with their ardent supporters three consecutive victories during the current series and they are hoping the make it a clean sweep during the fourth Test which is scheduled for The Oval in London. That match starts on Thursday, August 18.
Should England win the fourth and final Test at The Oval next week, they will finish on 125 ratings points while India will drop to third position on 117 points.
However, if India win or draw the Test, it will stay ahead of South Africa in second position. A win will take India to 120 points while a drawn Test will see them finish on 119.
So there is still much at stake although the series is decided in favour of the better prepared English team whose professionalism throughout should become a lesson for modern Test teams aspiring to achieve glory and success and to move within the top four rankings positions to be considered among the leading Test nations.
England, coached by former Zimbabwe Test captain Andy Flower and assisted by batting coach Graham Gooch- a former England Test captain and opening batsman; were astutely prepared and motivated to stop the Indians at all cost.
They were thoroughly professional and exhibited wonderful team spirit and genuine desire to achieve their lofty goals. Every member of their team rose to the challenge on many occasions and they even surpassed all expectations and their previous performances.
Those are some of the hallmarks of great sports personalities who are never satisfied with mediocrity but would drive themselves to accomplish the impossible and leave a legacy for others to respect and some to emulate in their quest for the ultimate in their chosen discipline.
What is surprising though is that India held the top position after eleven consecutive series without any series defeat until this tour to England.
But the Englishmen climbed above India after nine series without defeat, including the current one against India. The ratings system employed will definitely generate some more debate than it has done previously.
On the positive side, South African-born Andrew Strauss has enhanced his reputation as one of the leading Test captains with these three victories over India.
He became the third England captain to lead his team to 20 Test victories, the same as former England record holder Peter May who held the record for most victories until Michael Vaughan eclipsed it to finish his illustrious career with 26 wins overall.
Based on the team’s current performances, Strauss stands a very good chance to overhaul his former teammate Vaughan’s record.
On the other hand, the series defeat for India marks Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s first ever at the helm of the Indian Test team after twelve series.
The three defeats at Lord’s, Trent Bridge and Edgbaston have now tarnished his former impressive record which showed 15 victories and three defeats in 27 Tests.
Dhoni’s captaincy record reads 15 victories, six defeats and nine drawn matches in 30 Tests.
India’s defeat by an innings and 242 runs is the 15th worst defeat in Test history which amounts to 2002 Tests completed at Edgbaston yesterday.
It is also India’s 38th time they have been defeated in a Test by an innings and more. And it is the third most embarrassing defeat by an innings and over a hundred runs.
Their worst ever was to West Indies team, led by wicketkeeper Gerry Alexander, at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata in June 1958. West Indies won the Third Test by an innings and 336 runs after Guyanese Rohan Kanhai registered his maiden Test century.
West Indies batted first and amassed 614 for 4 declared, with Kanhai top-scoring with his career best of 256 that included 42 fours.
He featured in a 108-run third-wicket partnership with Collie Smith (34), 217-run fourth-wicket partnership with fellow Guyanese Basil Butcher (103). Garry Sobers (106 not out) and Joe Solomon (69 not out) shared an unbroken 160-run sixth-wicket partnership.
India were bowled out for 124 (Polly Umrigar 44; Roy Gilchrist 23-13-18-3, Wes Hall 15-6-31-3, Sonny Ramadhin 16.5-8-27-2, Sobers 6-0-32-1) and 154 (Vijay Manjrekar 58; Gilchrist 21-7-55-6, Hall 18-5-55-3 and Sobers 2-0-11-1). That match ended early on the fourth day (January 4) after India had resumed at 69 for 5.
India’s second worst defeat was registered in the Second Test against England at Lord’s in 1974. It was a much more experienced and powerful team which was crushed by an innings and 285 runs.
England batted first and amassed 629 with Dennis Amiss 188, debutant David Lloyd 46, John Edrich 96, captain Mike Denness 118 and Tony Greig 106. Left-arm spinner Bishen Singh Bedi was the most successful bowler with figures of 64.2-8-226-6. The other bowlers were Abid Ai (22-2-79-2), Eknath Solkar (6-2-16-0), Madan Lal (30-6-93-0), Bhagwat Chandrashekar (9.3-1-33-0, injured) and Erapalli Prasanna (51-6-166-2).
Despite a powerful batting line-up and having made a decent reply in the first innings with 302, India inexplicably folded up like bajjie and managed a meagre 42 in the second innings, which was their record lowest score ever.
Sunil Gavaskar (49, 5); Farouk Engineer (86, 0); Ajit Wadekar (18, 3); Gundappa Vishwanath (52, 5); Brijesh Patel (1, 1); Eknath Solkar (43, 18); Abid Ali (14, 3); Madan Lal (0, 2); Prasanna (0, 5); Bedi 14, 0) and Chandrashekar (2, absent hurt).
England’s chief destroyers were Geoff Arnold (2.5-6-81-1 and 8-1-19-4); Chris Old (21-6-67-4 and 8-3-21-5); Mike Hendrick (18-4-46-3 and 1-0-2-0); Greig (21-4-63-1) and Derek Underwood (15-10-18-1).
Dhoni probably has the weakest bowling attack that has ever played Test match cricket in the last six years in England and it is no wonder that English  batsmen has been able to wriggle themselves out of trouble especially in the First Test at Lord’s and the Second at Trent Bridge.
Maybe just for the benefit of those who missed the just concluded Third Test at Edgbaston, Warwickshire, County home ground of Guyanese Test stalwarts Kanhai, Lance Gibbs and Alvin Kallicharran; India made 224 (Gautam Gambhir 38, Rahul Dravid 22, VVS Laxman 30, MS Dhoni 77, Praveen Kumar 26) and 244 (Sachin Tendulkar 40, Dhoni 74 not out and Praveen Kumar 40).
The chief wicket-takers for England were James Anderson (21.2-3-39-2 and 18-3-26-4); Stuart Broad (17-6-53-4 and 12-4-28-2); Tim Bresnan (20-4-62-4 and 10.3-3-19-1) and Graeme Swann (13-1-88-2, 2nd innings.).
England’s mammoth 710 for 7 declared set the foundation for the massive victory with solid contributions from skipper Andrew Strauss 87, Man-of-the-Match Alastair Cook with career-best 294, Kevin Pietersen 63, Eion Morgan 104 and Tim Bresnan 53. Mr Extras also chipped in with 63 runs.
India, with their much vaunted batting line-up faltered and Dravid’s controversial dismissal in the second innings started the slide to a crushing defeat.
Dravid’s confused mind in not asking for a review of the DRS underlined India’s players’ tragic-comedy showing throughout the series. They have experienced some dodgy umpiring decisions but overall they were outfoxed and outplayed by a fired-up England team that have been very methodical in their preparation and ruthless in execution.
There are major challenges ahead for both teams but the Englishmen can celebrate and feel chuffed about their number one Test ranking.
Strauss and his fighting unit deserve hearty congratulations for a very professional display in achieving exceptional results against India.
England’s Test Series results since May 2009:
England beat West Indies 2-0 (home)
England beat Australia 2-1 (home)
England drew 1-1 with South Africa (away)
England beat Bangladesh 2-0 (away)
England beat Bangladesh 2-0 (home)
England beat Pakistan 3-1 (home).