Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, who is not in the squad for the England trip, has asked head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill to make a vital change ahead of the fourth Test. With India behind 2-1 in the five-match series, Rahane has suggested adding another specialist bowler to the squad.
In the third Test at Lord’s, India’s primary pace attack was Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep, with Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy serving as all-rounders. Rahane believes that having another frontline bowler could boost India’s chances in the fourth Test, which begins on July 23 at Old Trafford in Manchester.
“We are all aware that Day 4 and 5 are little difficult to bat on. It is not easy to score runs. Yes, England bowled quite well. But I believed India squandered an opportunity to post a large score in the first innings. And, going forward, I believe India should try to add one more bowler – because 20 wickets are enough to win a Test match or a Test series,”
Ajinkya Rahane remarked on his YouTube channel.
While Gambhir’s predilection for all-rounders is widely known, Reddy could be discarded after the third Test. If this happens, the squad may contemplate putting in wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the fourth Test in Manchester. Rahane also commended England captain Ben Stokes‘ intensity on the pitch, especially with the ball in hand.
“It’s simple for the fielder to become calm. When there are only two or three balls left before lunch, it’s easy to relax. But his mentality towards the ball, his determination, and getting the run-out were when I thought England came into the game,” Rahane added.
“That’s what you want to see in Test cricket – all 11 fielders coming together and looking to win the Test match,” he said afterwards.
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