Image: India had several unexpected changes to its squad / © Indian Express
Team India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has faced severe backlash for the team’s performance under his leadership in the Test format. Out of their last 9 Test matches under his leadership, the team has only won one of them and lost seven.
With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli having retired from the Test format, it has surely added to the number of challenges faced by the coach in the red-ball format. Amidst this, Shubman Gill was announced as the new captain of the team to lead in the Test format.
India did have a positive start with the bat in the first match, with several players scoring centuries, helping the team to post a big total. But the bowling and fielding blunders cost the team to start the series and the new WTC cycle with a loss, despite being in a winning position.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | Opening batter |
| KL Rahul | Wicketkeeper batter |
| Karun Nair | Top-order batter |
| Shubman Gill (c) | Opening batter |
| Rishabh Pant | Wicketkeeper batter |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | Batting allrounder |
| Ravindra Jadeja | Allrounder |
| Washington Sundar | Bowling allrounder |
| Akash Deep | Bowler |
| Mohammed Siraj | Bowler |
| Prasidh Krishna | Bowler |
Even after that, the coach, Gautam Gambhir, made some changes to the line-up for the second game. These squad changes have also made the fans and analysts question the team selection, putting him under scrutiny. Let’s take a look at some decisions which might backfire on Gautam Gambhir in the second Test.
A decision which is called as a lot risky for the Indian team in the 2nd Test at Edgbaston, was Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav not being a part of the team. Edgbaston has been known for its turning track towards the last few days of the game, and at this spot, Kuldeep Yadav not being a part of the team has put him under the radar.
Bumrah and Kuldeep have been regarded as the consistent wicket-takers for the Indian team. And leaving them out for an important Test at Edgbaston is considered a bit controversial. Along with that, the coach Gautam Gambhir has confirmed that Bumrah will only be playing three Tests in this series, out of which one he has already played.
Jasprit Bumrah was rested for this series, with the coach saying that to manage his workload, it has been done. However, for this, he also received some backlash from cricket fans and former Indian players.
Ravi Shastri said:
You have the best fast bowler in the world and you make him sit out after 7 days rest. It’s very hard for me to believe and I can’t agree with the management’s decision.
Various other commentators and analysts had given a similar reaction to Bumrah being rested for an important match.
Even in the first Test match against England, Bumrah was able to take a five-wicket haul, making him a key element for the team. On the other hand, Kuldeep Yadav has not received many chances, despite being the key spinner in India’s line-up.
| Matches | Innings | Balls | Runs | Wickets | BBI | BBM | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | Innings | Balls | Runs | Wickets | BBI | BBM | Average | Economy |
Kuldeep Yadav has not made it to the team consistently, as he holds 56 wickets in just 13 Test matches he has played. It should also be noted that his debut for the team came in 2017, and even after a long time, it was a challenging decision by the Head coach to keep him out of the game.
With Ravichandran Ashwin having retired from the format, it was expected that Kuldeep would receive more chances in the England series. However, the team list, which didn’t include his name, was shocking, as the captain, Shubman Gill, also said that the reason they didn’t go with Kuldeep was to add some more depth to the team’s batting line-up.
The team changes for the second match not only include player changes or replacements, it also include a change in the team’s batting line-up. Sai Sudharsan, who made his debut in the first Test match against England, was dropped immediately by the team for the second Test, raising questions about the coach and management.
He scored just 30 runs in both innings combined, but various analysts and fans also think that it may be too early for the team to judge him on the basis of his performances. Along with that, several fans are questioning the number 3 spot of the Indian team, as it has changed consistently since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
After dropping Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair was promoted by Gautam Gambhir to number 3, which is another controversial decision by the Head coach. Nair looked strong at the start and even played some exceptional strokes against Josh Tongue, showcasing his class and style. However, he was once again unable to convert his start into a big score for the team.
There was news that Sai Sudharsan also played the first match with an injury, but some reports also said that he was fit after the Test and was even seen practicing with the team. Subramanian Badrinath, who is a former Indian cricketer, also talked about dropping Sudharsan from the team, and he said that even after scoring 30 runs in the second innings, which helped the team to build up a partnership, Sai Sudharsan was dropped.
Some fans also criticised the team for backing Karun Nair more than giving chances to Sai Sudharsan, who could be a long-term option for the line-up. Along with that, a few also remarked that senior players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired to give juniors a way in the Test format.
Now, Sai Sudharsan, who is aged below 25, has been dropped for Karun Nair, who is aged 34, and the call by fans is also being backed by a number of cricket analysts. Taking a look at Nair in the current series against England, he surely has looked confident, but still is not able to fetch a big score to mark his comeback.
The problem of team number 4 and the opening slot has been sorted with the help of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, respectively. However, the concern for the number 3 spot still remains, as players are unable to get consistent chances to play for the team at this spot.
Another surprise inclusion to the Indian line-up for the second Test was Washington Sundar, who is known mainly for his batting. In order to add more depth to its middle order and lower the dependency on the tailenders, Sundar was likely to be included in the team.
However, Sundar is almost the same as Jadeja, with both players being able to score runs with the bat and even take wickets with the ball. With his inclusion to the team, the questions are now being raised on the bowling depth of the Indian team, which doesn’t have Jasprit Bumrah or Kuldeep Yadav.
| Matches | Innings | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5 | 38.4 | 3 | 130 | 2 | 65.00 | 3.36 |
Washington Sundar has played 4 Test matches against England where he holds just 2 wickets at an average of 65, showcasing that against England, he has not shone with the ball. His stats against England are great while batting, as he holds an average of 74.33 in 5 innings, scoring 223 runs with 2 half-centuries.
To provide more depth to the team’s batting line-up, the pressure on the bowling line-up increases even more. With Siraj being the experienced pacer and Jadeja being the experienced spinner, it will be quite challenging for the team to take wickets, especially of players like Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
| Matches | Innings | Not Out | Runs | High Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 223 | 96* | 74.33 | 51.62 | 0 | 2 |
Replacing Shardul Thakur, Sundar got the green light to be a part of the team in the second match. His performances with the bat have been impressive in all the away matches, but his average goes above 40 even with the ball in the overseas games. With Sundar having scored 42 runs in the first innings of the game, it will be questionable whether he dominates with the ball or not.
Which of these decisions taken by coach Gautam Gambhir could backfire on him in the second Test, if India loses the game?