IND vs ENG, 2nd Test: Baffling! Ex-Australia all-rounder calls out India's gamble of going with 5 specialist batters
Former Australia all-rounder
Tom Moody
has slammed India's team selection for the second Test against England.
India revealed its lineup after England won the toss and surprised many by resting its best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, and not picking wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who was missed in the series-opening loss in Leeds last week.
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Sai Sudharsan, who made his Test debut in Leeds, and Shardul Thakur were dropped, while Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar were picked in an attempt to balance batting depth with a side capable of taking 20 wickets. India became the first side to lose a Test after hitting five centuries. Bumrah was replaced by Akash Deep.
'India's selection for this Test is baffling,' Moody wrote on X.
'No Bumrah is one thing, but to only have five specialist batsmen is a gamble.
'The fixation on all-rounders who are there to offer depth with bat and ball has never worked. Specialists are always going to offer more over a Test.'
Former head coach and cricketer Ravi Shastri didn't mince his words while expressing his discontent with India's decision to rest the world number one speedster Jasprit Bumrah.
'You have the best fast bowler in the world, and you make him sit out after seven days' rest. It's something very hard to believe, and I can't agree with it,' Shastri said on Sky Sports.
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Late selection meeting between Gautam Gambhir, Shubman Gill and Ajit Agarkar near pitch?
At the stroke of lunch, India lost Karun Nair (31) and KL Rahul (2), while Yashasvi Jaiswal continued to dazzle, swashbuckling his way to an unbeaten 62 (69) to propel the touring party to 98/2. Shastri reflected on India's exploits in the first session and delivered unstinting praise for Jaiswal.
'I think they will be pretty happy but disappointed with the timing of Nair's dismissal, shortly before lunch. That's when you need to be concentrating hard—but there was very little Nair could do as the ball bounced from a length,' Shastri said.
'Jaiswal batted beautifully—the mix of caution and aggression. He played to his off-side strengths and put anything loose away,' he added.
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