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Sri Lanka in England 2016: Why touring parties struggle with the ball?

Why do the others fail with the ball? Why do they not get same effect off the pitch as Anderson and Broad?

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Sri Lanka had yet another ordinary day with the ball © Getty Images
Sri Lanka had yet another ordinary day with the ball © Getty Images

The second of the three Tests between England and Sri Lanka had a rather lame start on Friday, with the two competing sides sharing the first session at Chester-le-Street. Alastair Cook fell short by 5 runs to complete his 10,000 runs, and a few other men fell in 80s. Sri Lankan bowlers did well to snaffle 5 wickets in two sessions, but towards the end, England managed to put up 300 plus with 6 down. Sri Lanka’s bowling looked timid for most of the day: seamers did not get any help on a first-day wicket, and Rangana Herath did almost all he could to grab his 300th wicket in the format and failed. What comes in mind is a pertinent question: would England have bowled the same? LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: England vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test at Chester-le-street

Perhaps not.

And this is where the difference lies. It is not that their captain is proactive. As a skipper, Cook is not the one who conjures up ways to get the game moving at a brisk rate. Quite often than not, Cook is not required to move the game ahead as his bowlers — James Anderson and Stuart Broad — end up doing so much that asking for anything else would be grossly unfair. Remember Trent Bride 2015? Australia were shot out for 60 by a menacing Broad. Cook would not have even dreamt about it the night before the game.

Or have you forgotten Anderson’s 4 wickets for 7 runs in 10 balls at Edgbaston? Eventually, Anderson finished with 6 for 47 in 14.4 overs. Australia were bundled out for 136.

In both the cases, England won the Tests handsomely — as well as the Ashes — because batting first, Australia did not get enough on board on two occasions and that smothered their chances.

Cook is not required to think real hard on the field, because it is not often that he has the opposition blooming with big partnerships. Anderson and Broad keep chipping away with wickets, and England rule the toughest of sides in their backyards with tremendous ease, simply because their strike bowlers master the art of seam and swing.

So, why do the others fail with the ball? Why do they not get same effect off the pitch as Anderson and Broad? Why do pitches in England start looking different the moment same Dukes ball is bowled by some other bowler? Why to most of the tourists look like consisting weak bowling attacks, who resemble nothing other than bowling machines?

The answer is simple: the others do not have the mastery in extracting swing and seam as well as Anderson and Broad. Many do not even put the seam in the right position, which is a crime as long as one is playing in England.

Bowlers and their coaches around the world know what it takes to grab wickets in England. But most fail in execution. There are many who still believe in bowling outside that off-stump channel will fetch them wickets, or by bouncing them out, or, by testing their patience to the hilt.

Winning in England is never easy, especially on the English wickets. Australia had first-hand experience in the third and fourth Tests of Ashes 2015, when England finally turned up with their kind of wickets. Australia were blown away in a gush, even before they could realise what was happening.

For unexplained reasons, India and Sri Lanka remain the frequenters to England even though they cannot compete. They play three or even five-Test series with almost nil preparations, and take nothing away from the string of defeats. Their bowlers keep bowling outside off, never threatening the English batsman and doing a little to learn how to make it swing or seam.

South Africa did well in 2012, but the next time they tour the bowling attack may look a lot different. Australia were surprisingly poor with the ball in 2013 and 2015, knowing it all but executing a little was their crime. Pakistan are finally getting a chance to show their skills in England after six long years, but it remains to be seen if at all Mohammad Aamer travels to the land where it all went wrong.

Unless a bowling attack goes on for months practising to pitch it up, make it swing, move off the seam and extract some extra bounce off the deck, England will continue to live a peaceful life playing countless tests undeterred at their home. The art of seam and swing is tough to learn but not impossible.

(Devarchit Varma is senior writer with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)

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