17 hours ago
IND vs ENG: Three key factors for India's England turnaround – ‘Control, Kuldeep and batting advantage', says Sanjay Bangar
India's hapless five-wicket defeat to England in Headingley undid a heavy body of good work laid down by the top-order batters and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah earlier this week. While the side put on 300-plus runs in both innings, India's weaknesses were exposed by Ben Stokes and Co on muliple fronts, including all three departments.
While India struck five centuries with Rishabh Pant (2), captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal coming to the fore, the sorry lower-order collapses meant India could not capitalise on their batting advantages. With an erratic seam attack behind him, even the menacing Bumrah could not do much when the English batters went on the aggressive in a record 371 chase. India dropped as many as eight catches in the field across two innings, further handing the advantage to England to take the lead in the five-match series.
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar listed three major factors where India will need to work on for an immediate turnaround in the series. Ahead of the second Test starting Wednesday in Edgbaston, Bangar said the visitors will need to minimise collapses after getting a start with the bat.
'When you have an advantage batting first or third, try to put the match out of the opposition's reach. In both innings of the first Test India had the opportunity but could not do that due to which England chased the target they got,' he said on Sta Sports.
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Bangar also stressed on bringing left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav into the XI. No wrist-spinner has played a Test in England against the hosts in the last four years, but Bangar believes Kuldeep can pick on England's weakness against the tribe.
'The team will have to think a bit on how to bring in Kuldeep Yadav. Given the approach we saw from England's batters in the first innings, Kuldeep Yadav being a wrist-spinner, the English batters have not done well often against wrist-spin,' Bangar remarked.
The former India all-rounder also emphasised that the team will need to focus on improving the control in the pace department after the profligate outings for the pacers behind Bumrah at Leeds. Seamer Prasidh Krishna tallied 5/225 in the Test, with no pace bowler having ever conceded more runs at a worse economy in history.
'The third thing to see is how the fast bowling attack can give more control. Many bowlers conceded runs in excess of five runs or more per over in the first Test. That does not give the control captain and Bumrah who bowled well from one end did not get enough support either.'
