Edgbaston Test: Fletcher blames English conditions for India's batting failure

Indian cricket team coach Duncan Fletcher has admitted that the side is finding it difficult to cope with the swinging and seaming conditions of England.

Following a bad show by the Indian batting lineup on the first day of the third Test match played at Edgbaston, Fletcher said: “Well from my point of view, as I have said, they have found it very difficult to handle the swing bowling at the moment, the swing, and the seam. And, I have seen other sides struggle in those situations.”

Fletcher was addressing a post-match news conference at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

So far India, a team which includes the two highest Test run scorers in Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, have failed to score 300 runs in a single innings during this series and are in danger of relinquishing the top test ranking status to England after being walloped in the first two matches.

India were bowled out for 224 on the first day of the third test after losing the toss, before England's openers cruised to 84 without loss at stumps.

Apart from Dravid, who scored hundreds in the first two tests, the other batsmen have struggled, including world record holder Tendulkar and fellow veteran VVS Laxman.

However, Fletcher further pinned hope on the Indian batsmen to shine in the remaining part of the match.

“I still believe we are not out of this match. I mean, we have got some players there, if it does flatten up and does not swing, we have got players who have scored 200s and 300s, you know, in their CVs. And if one or two of those get it done, it is a good chance we can pose a good score. Well that depends on the first session tomorrow morning. If it does become overcast again and does swing, we have got the bowlers there, who can utilise those features,” he said.

This tour is Fletcher's second assignment as new coach of the team. It's a return to an old stamping ground for Fletcher, the 62-year-old former Zimbabwe captain who took over in April. He had an eight year stint with England with a 2005 Ashes victory as the highlight.

On the other hand, England bowler Tim Bresnan said that the conditions did not assist the hosts as much as they had expected when skipper Andrew Strauss elected to field after winning the toss.

“Yeah, it swung a bit, but not like Trent Bridge did. So it was basically building pressure and just hanging in you areas,” said Bresnan.

Bresnan finished the day with four wickets for 62 runs.

While Dravid fell for 22 this time, after Bresnan bowled him with a delightful delivery that swung away from him late, Tendulkar again missed an opportunity to register his 100th international century. He scored just one.

Tendulkar, though, still averages 54 in tests in England, while Laxman's is a shade under 40 in England.

Bresnan rejected any notion that India's batsmen were underperforming and preferred to believe that the credit deserves to go to the bowling unit.

“You know, they are a quality batting attack, they have got some really good players and it just shows in the stats and averages that prove that. It did not matter the way they are really playing, it is just I think that our plans and we have got them right and we have delivered what we said we were going to do. At this moment’s time, touchwood, those plans are working. So, I think it just goes to show how well we are bowling as a unit,” he said.

The third Test between India and England in Edgbaston, Birmingham began on Wednesday amid high speculations of the recent violence disrupting the tour.