IND vs ENG Test: Sourav Ganguly has just one advice for Gautam Gambhir - 'Play him at Oval'
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has advised current head coach Gautam Gambhir to include spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the upcoming fifth and final Test against England at The Oval, following India's drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford.
With England leading the series 2-1, Ganguly believes India can win the finale with the right bowling choices and continued batting momentum.
India managed to secure a draw in the fourth Test at Old Trafford with a spirited performance on the final day.
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"I advise Gambhir to play Kuldeep Yadav in the fifth Test and pick the right bowling attack. If we continue to bat like this, we can win at The Oval," Ganguly told IANS.
Ganguly reflected on India's batting performance in Manchester and their previous loss at Lord's by 22 runs while chasing 193.
"This is a young team, we have to give some time to them as the team is rebuilding. The way they batted in the fourth innings yesterday, where they scored more than 400, India will feel bad that they lost the Lord's Test. They batted really well on the fifth day in Manchester, the 190 should have been achieved at the Lord's," the former left-handed batter said.
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"After a long time, many Indian batters have scored so many runs in an overseas Test series.
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This is something that makes me happy and is a good sign for Indian cricket. These young players will play for a long time for the country, and their performances in England will certainly give them a lot of confidence. If we improve our bowling, we can win at The Oval," Ganguly added.
Ganguly praised wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant's consistent performance throughout the tour, noting his absence from the final Test due to a right foot fracture.
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"He is a very good Test player. He is injured and his foot was fractured; he will take time to recover. He has batted brilliantly in the series," Ganguly said of Pant.
"India played good cricket and saved the Test match after batting for more than 140 overs. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar played really well," the southpaw added.
The series finale is scheduled to begin on Thursday at The Oval in London.
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