Questions galore: India face last-minute Bumrah call as they mull over second spinner in bid to level England series
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There are questions galore for India ahead of the second Test at Edgbaston, starting today, and expectedly almost all of them are about bowlers and bowling combinations.The biggest question for India is whether to risk playing Jasprit Bumrah or save their most precious -- and injury-prone -- bowler for later Tests. If he sits out, who will replace him? Who else will be replaced, given the other three pacers were ineffective and expensive, and by whom? Will they stick with a lone spinner or add a second, considering the hot weather and a dry Birmingham pitch?A five-Test series, especially away from home, is challenging. Even more so when the home side has edged ahead 1-0 after a thrilling chase on a fifth-day pitch. As a result, while the triumphant England are confident enough to go into the second Test unchanged, defeated India are still pondering over the choices they need to make.And the most important decision they have to make is about Bumrah's workload. Even before India landed in England, it was already decided that he will play on three of the five Tests. India are being cautious about his workload as he could not take the load of five Tests in a row in Australia and suffered a stress fracture in his back that kept him away from cricket for a couple of months, missing the Champions Trophy.'Bumrah is definitely available [for selection]. We are just going to see how to manage his workload in the upcoming Test matches,' captain Shubman Gill said. 'We just thought we would take a final look once we come to the ground and see what kind of combination that we want to go with tomorrow.'Bumrah is a maverick. His presence lifts the potential of the playing XI several notches up. The obsessiveness with which his availability for the second Test has been discussed over the last few days shows how valuable he is.However, no matter what anybody likes to believe and tell others, one player doesn't win you a Test match. Even if that player is Bumrah. In the last five overseas Tests, in all of which Bumrah played and took 29 wickets, including three 5-fors, India lost four and drew one.Unless India take care of other factors that contributed to their loss, they will find it difficult to make a comeback in the series. Top of the list is their catching abilities, but also the negligible contribution from the lower-order – just 5 in first innings and 4 in second by India's No. 8 to 11. In contrast, England's lower order added 72 in the first innings.India's plan to shore up their batting by favouring Shardul Thakur over better bowlers like Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh backfired badly. Thakur scored just 5 runs in two innings and was trusted to bowl only 16 of the 160 overs India bowled in the match — all other bowlers bowled 40-plus overs each.Other bowlers struggled too. Prasidh Krishna (5/220) took as many wickets as Bumrah but leaked too many runs. Mohammed Siraj provided better control but didn't take wickets.Going into the second Test, if India are serious about taking 20 wickets, they need five specialist bowlers. They have options on the bench. Akash Deep can provide both control and swing. Arshdeep Singh can bring a left-armer's angle that's always an advantage.Kuldeep Yadav's wrist spin and variety could be an attacking option on a pitch that's dry underneath and is expected to assist spinners in the second half of the Test. There is Washington Sundar, who bowls at a similar pace as Jadeja but turns it in opposite direction. He can also bat, much better than Shardul.Not to forget Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was India's second highest run-getter in Australia behind Yashasvi Jaiswal. And unlike, Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan, he can provide a few overs of seam bowling – a sixth bowling option wouldn't hurt.India's selection for the second Test will reflect not just tactical adjustments, but also whether they've truly learned from their mistakes in the opener.
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First Post
36 minutes ago
- First Post
'Doesn't make sense': Sanjay Manjrekar questions Jasprit Bumrah's rotation plan, urges India to play him
Sanjay Manjrekar has said that Jasprit Bumrah must play the second Test against England at Edgbaston, saying India can't afford to rest him after the Headingley loss. He said plans to rest Bumrah in alternating Tests doesn't make sense. read more Jasprit Bumrah is set to play no more than three Tests in the tour of England due to his strict workload management in the aftermath of a recent back injury. AP Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has said that Jasprit Bumrah should definitely play the second Test against England at Edgbaston. Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar said that India don't have a choice and that Bumrah's inclusion is crucial after what happened in the first match at Headingley. Manjrekar calls for Bumrah's inclusion in 2nd Test India lost the match by 5 wickets despite scoring fice centuries. Indian bowlers failed to defend a 371-run target in the final innings as England batters chased down with ease. India performed poorly on the field apart from struggling in the bowling department. India are 1-0 down in the series and are under pressure to win the second one. 'I mean there's no doubt in anyone's mind and I don't think India has a choice. He's got to play. He didn't bowl as much as one would have thought in the second innings. Plus, he didn't take to the field towards the end as well. Long enough gap and if he doesn't play now and you have seen how the bowling attack looks, even with Bumrah in the second innings in the last test. So Bumrah's got to play. And I know, he's not going to play the full series but play this one and we'll see what happens in the next because it just doesn't make sense for him to take a break at this juncture in the series,' Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Read: Team India hotel reportedly cordoned off after suspicious package found near Centenary Square in Birmingham Manjrekar said that India don't have a choice now and can drop Bumrah later in the series to manage his workload. The former cricketer-turned-commentator said that Bumrah must play the second Test and see what happens in the future, considering India's position in the series at the moment. He added that decisions on Bumrah's availability should be taken one Test at a time. 'I believe 1,3 and 5 and 2,4 and 6 is a good concept as I have said before, for parking. Not for playing a cricketer and a player like Bumrah. So I find this almost nonsensical, you know this talk about he'll play 1,3 and 5. You just have to be realistic in sports and life as well. You can't pre-empt anything and India did well when Bumrah played the first Test. And whatever the talk is, I don't see him resting in the second Test and India also know that he's got to play in the second Test. And I always believe that instead of making long term plans, there's always gonna be clarity, absolute clarity at the end of every Test match. Whether Bumrah should play the next or rest the next,' he added. Also Read: 'Play negative, defensive cricket': Ashwin's bold advice for Shubman Gill to target England's bazball India are scheduled to play the second Test against England starting 2 July. Bumrah's inclusion is still not officially confirmed, though he has been declared fit. In the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, India skipper Shubman Gill said Bumrah is available for selection but a call on his inclusion will be made after looking at the pitch.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
What India need to plan for in the second Test against England
IND vs ENG: Jasprit Bumrah is available for India's second Test against England. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said so on Monday. Captain Shubman Gill repeated that on Tuesday. Whether Bumrah will play in the match starting on Wednesday, though, is another matter altogether. Bumrah's likely absence is one of the main things the Indian team has to contend with, after going down 1-0 in the five-match Test series. Defeat in the first Test would have been particularly galling because India dominated that match for large parts. However, they could not shut England out of the game and paid the price. IND vs ENG: Why did India pick a bowling combination they had little faith in for a high-stakes Test series? While Gill was very clear that a call on Bumrah would be taken as late as possible, the indications were that India would be without their best bowler - and indeed the world's best bowler - for the second Test at Edgbaston. The captain and the coaching staff have repeatedly said that Bumrah was going to be available for only three Tests. It makes sense, then, to have him play the third Test at Lord's rather than this one. Unless Bumrah can actually play four Tests instead of three. But if he can, it would mean Bumrah plays three consecutive Tests, because the gap between the fourth and fifth Test is too small for Bumrah to play both. Assuming he does not play, the question India have to wrestle with is, how best to take 20 wickets. 'It is difficult, but at the end of the day, we have picked the best players in India in this squad,' Gill said on the eve of the second Test. 'It's not impossible. The other bowlers have also performed well, that's why they are playing for the country. We have a great pool of talent. He added, 'We knew before the series that he would only be playing three Test matches, so we had all the different combinations we might go with, depending on the pitch. You definitely do miss your best bowler if he's not playing, but we had that sorted before the series.' Can India bring in Kuldeep Yadav as their spinner, because he is India's best wicket-taking option after Bumrah? The issue is, the other two spinners - Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar - offer much more with the bat. And India will be wanting some batting insurance after two spectacular lower-order collapses in the first Test. 'If you are going with an extra spinner, the only thing you have to see is how do you manage him on Day 1, if you are bowling on Day 1,' explained Gill. 'If at all, there is anything on these kinds of pitches, it is on Day 1 in the first couple of sessions. The main call you have to take is how to manage your spinner on Day 1.' However, England's unusually hot summer has made it easier to contemplate a two-spinner attack. 'You don't usually see two spinners playing in England, but the weather has not been typical. It's been quite hot,' said Gill. 'Last game also, we felt that if we had another spinner in the fourth innings, the game could have been closer. When the ball gets old, we also felt it's easier for spinners to contain runs than the fast bowlers. Maybe a second spinner on these pitches, even if they can't take wickets, they can contain the scoring till the second new ball becomes available. If we get a similar wicket to the first Test, then a second spinner won't be a bad option. 'Our first priority on these pitches is always how we can get 20 wickets, rather than playing that extra batter.' So Gill left the door open for India to include Kuldeep. However, he also pointed out how that would be tricky if India finds themselves bowling on Day 1. Gill was also categorical in saying that the team could not afford to repeat the sloppiness from the first Test - collapsing with the bat, spilling too many catches, and not bowling consistently. 'We did play well in a lot of moments, but in certain moments, we didn't just play badly, we played very badly,' he said. 'You cannot have a phase that is so bad that you are out of the game.' India have said the right words and prepared in the right manner for the second Test. Now they'll need to translate that to results on the field.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Shubman Gill's captaincy criticism shut down in brutal fashion, 'transition' highlighted: 'He doesn't have Virat, Rohit'
Following India's loss against England in the Headingley Test, where India let the hosts chase down 371, several cricket pundits criticised Shubman Gill's captaincy. Former England captain Nasser Hussain also pointed out how the likes of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant were moving the field around and that there were too many captains on the field. Irfan Pathan reckons Shubman Gill needs to be given time to find his footing as the captain of the Test team. (AFP) Shubman Gill was named India's Test captain following Rohit Sharma's retirement from Test cricket. The 25-year-old is leading the team in a transition phase, which involves losing three of its most senior pros: Rohit, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin. To make matters worse for Gill, Jasprit Bumrah will play just three Tests in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, while Mohammed Shami is not in the squad. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are leaking runs at a brisk pace. In the series opener against England, India faced two lower-order collapses, while the fielding effort was abysmal to say the least. India dropped at least six to seven catches, with Yashasvi Jaiswal himself putting down four chances. Former India pacer Irfan Pathan reckons Shubman Gill needs to be given time to find his footing as the captain of the Test team. He is leading the team through a transition phase, and it is never easy to take charge when a few senior players leave the team. "There are a lot of talks about his captaincy and the bowling changes and everything. I think we need to give him time. Most importantly, first of all, he is a new captain. And he is captaining the side which is in a transition period. If you look at it, he doesn't have the services of Mohammed Shami, he doesn't have the services of Ravichandran Ashwin, he doesn't have the services of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as far as the dressing room is concerned," said Pathan during a select media interaction organised by Sony Sports Network. "Bumrah is not going to play all the matches. So, his hands are tied. So, that's one thing. He is leading the side for the first time in the toughest tour of England. It's a tough one. Not many sides go to England, let alone India. And they do really, really well. It's a tough tour to actually captain the side for the first time. So, there are a lot of mistakes which happen during those 5-day matches," he added. Heading into the series against England, Shubman Gill, while speaking to Dinesh Karthik for Sky Sports, stated that he has no pressure from head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar as they have given him full freedom. Gill started the series with a bang as he scored a century in his very first innings as a batter. However, he has tougher challenges ahead as the leader of the side. Also Read: Shubman Gill breaks silence on whether Jasprit Bumrah will play 2nd Test vs England "A lot of people talked about his authority. Authority will come with time. The good thing is he scored 100, which will make him comfortable as far as his form is concerned. Once his form is certain, then he is able to make tough decisions," said Pathan. Pathan cites example of Ravindra Jadeja To make a strong case for his argument, Irfan Pathan also cited the example of Ravindra Jadeja not utilising the rough created in the arc of Ben Duckett in the second innings of the Headingley Test. The left-handed Duckett smashed 149 runs in the second innings, and the biggest highlight of his knock was how he kept reverse sweeping Jadeja for boundaries. "I will give you an example like Ravindra Jadeja. There was a rough against Ben Duckett. But Ravindra Jadeja started from around the wicket. Now, as a senior bowler and as a young captain, you will allow that. Ideally, on the 5th day, when the rough is there outside the off stump, you need to come over the wicket to use that rough. But by the time he scored two reverse sweeps, which made Duckett comfortable, he came over the wicket. So, the ball started spinning a lot more and had a bounce as well," said Pathan. "With time, there will be a time with authority, and we need to give him time. If we don't give him time, and if we expect that he will perform straight away. There are a lot of leaders in the past who have done well. Eventually, they took time as well. So, if we give Shubman Gill time, he will settle into the role nicely. And he will be able to be more authoritative with time and performances," he added. Pathan then rounded off the conversation by saying Gill is just one Test old when it comes to captaincy, and he needs to be given time to properly utilise the resources. "He is just 1 Test old as captain. If you had asked me the question after one year of his leadership, I would have said, Okay, this is where he needs to go right. But it's too early right now. He needs to be given proper time," said Pathan. Watch 2nd Test Between India & England on July 2nd, 3:30 PM onwards LIVE On Sony Sports Ten 1 & Sony Sports Ten 5 channels.
