India will need to shed their conservative selection approach and give themselves the best chance to take 20 wickets on what is expected to be another batting surface in the second Test against England, beginning here on Wednesday. By the team management’s own admission, India missed a specialist bowler, Kuldeep Yadav, at Leeds as England comfortably chased down a record 371 on day five of a game that the visitors should have won.
In the words of assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, India are grappling to find a team combination that doesn’t compromise on batting depth and yet has the bowlers to take 20 wickets. “In terms of managing the strategy there, we’re looking at each bowler individually, feeling what we feel they can get wickets-wise. And then it’s just trying to balance up and trying to calculate as best you can what the best chance of getting into the Test match.”
“But you need 20 wickets. So the attacking party is obviously finding someone who can get wickets as well. And we are grappling with that. We don’t stop talking about that. We’re trying to figure it out,” Doeschate admitted. The weather has been rather hot in Birmingham and the surface, bound by a decent covering of grass, is dry underneath. On this very ground three years ago, England had gunned down a daunting 378 with ridiculous ease to draw the series. Of late, the same 22 yards have offered plenty of runs to the batters in county cricket. The spinners will eventually come into the game and India need to decide whether they want someone like Washington Sundar who can assist Ravindra Jadeja or get Kuldeep, who is a much better wicket-taking option. What is confirmed as of now is that India will go in with two spinners. Shardul Thakur was the fast bowling all-rounder at Leeds but there is a strong possibility that batting all-rounder Nitish Reddy starts on Wednesday.
Thakur did not have the best of outings but dropping him after one opportunity would be quite harsh on him.
The question mark ahead of the game is over Jasprit Bumrah’s availability. If he doesn’t play the second of his decided quota of three Tests, the pace line-up is expected to be Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna.
With Bumrah hard to handle at the other end, the pacers did not have the required consistency in their lengths to test England batters.
They would be wiser after that experience and if Bumrah doesn’t play, will have a lot to prove.
Jadeja, who could not get much out of a turning pitch on day five at Headingley, would be eager to make an impact too.
India’s catching would have to be a lot better after the horror show at Leeds, costing Yashasvi Jaiswal his spot in the slip cordon.
