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The Indian batsmen, reputed to be good spin players, failed to reach a target of 231 runs on the fourth day as a left-arm debutant in England. Tom Hartley he took seven wickets. Speaking exclusively with Timesofindia.comformer Indian cricketer Mohamed Kaifwho played 13 Tests and 125 ODIs for India, opined that the current Indian cricketers have been brought up in white-ball cricket and also did not rule out the return of the experienced Cheteshwar Pujara to the Indian Test team. He also recalled that England had also won the first Test in the last tour, but India won the series.
Excerpts:
There were no centurions in the Indian first innings, most batsmen were dismissed while going for big shots and Shubman Gill recorded another failure. Your thoughts on that…
Shubman Gill is a very talented batsman, there is no doubt about that, but his game is the flat-wicket, white-ball cricket we get in limited overs internationals. But in Test cricket, you won’t get flat wickets, the ball will bounce, spin, so Gill has to work on his footwork and I am sure he will make the necessary adjustments and score runs again.
(AP Photo)
Most of the Indian batsmen got off to a good start in the first innings, but for the temperament of Test cricket, you have to stay on the wicket and play according to the situation. I am sure coach Rahul Dravid would have told them about that.
Indian batsmen have a history of problems with left-arm spinners. Tom Hartley took seven wickets in the second innings and won the match for England…
I think the Indian batsmen’s ability to play spin has reduced considerably. Even Ajaz Patel had taken 10 wickets against India recently. Here I will not praise the spinners as much as their bowling on spinning tracks. Joe Root also took 3-4 wickets. Spinning the ball on a rotating track is no big deal.
Tom Hartley took only 2 wickets in the first innings and then learned as the match progressed. He said that he saw Ashwin and Jadeja varying the pace of him. He said that he was bowling very fast. As the match progressed, he learned to change his style and this was the most important factor in England’s victory. Learning during the match and that too from the opposition bowlers and then taking wickets is very commendable.
In absence of Virat KohliWho will be India’s key batsman in the second Test?
What I feel is that an Indian ODI team is playing Test cricket right now. Whether Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma or Shubman Gill, they are all stroke-makers. Gill loves to make shots, but he doesn’t have much confidence in defending himself. Therefore, he has to make adjustments in his defensive technique to overcome good moments of bowling. Even Shreyas Iyer is an aggressive player.
(PTI Photo)
I hope it’s not too late until Virat Kohli arrives (after the second Test). Dhruv Jurel or in its current form, even Sarfaraz Khan can take a look. But in the absence of KL Rahul and Jadeja, the Indian batting will weaken, there is no doubt about that. Axar may have to bat at number 8 and that is why I feel Washington Sundar may have a look because they want to bat up to number 9.
Do you think Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane can still return to the Indian team?
When you leave behind the veterans, you must give time to the young players. If you bring in players like Jaiswal instead of Pujara and Rahane, who play old-style Test cricket, then you have to give him time. Pujara and Rahane have a lot of experience, but now that you have advanced, you have to give time to the younger players.
But Pujara is in good form in the Ranji Trophy and can still make a comeback because right now all the players in the team are white-ball players. Virat Kohli is in a different league and brings great balance to the team. He can play defense too like Pujara and we all know how aggressive he can be (with the bat). So, Pujara, with his strong defense, can still make a comeback amid the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma or Shubman Gill and there is no replacement for experience.
Since Ravindra Jadeja will not play the next Test, is there any chance of Kuldeep Yadav coming into the XI?
India’s main plan is to have players who can bat at least up to number 9. When playing on a curvy track, even Rohit Sharma knows that Indian batsmen will also struggle, so he wants assurance and security in the batting. The team that played in the last test was the best XI. There were 5 proper bowlers and they batted up to 9. There couldn’t have been a better playing XI. Axar Patel bats brilliantly in Indian conditions and even moved up the order in the second innings.
But in the next match it will be difficult to fill the void created by Jadeja’s absence, so Washington Sundar can also be considered because if Kuldeep Yadav plays, the batting will only be up to number 8. But I think because Kuldeep is already there . In the team, he will get the nod ahead of Sundar.
Your opinion Ollie Papa196 to win the match in the second innings…
Ollie Pope made an amazing shot. You can change your game to some extent, but change it so quickly and that too against quality bowlers like Jadeja and Ashwin on Indian pitches. Any team that faces them here struggles. But for the first time I felt that Jadeja, Ashwin, Bumrah and Axar Patel were forced to think hard about how to dismiss Ollie Pope.
It happened for the first time. In India, give the ball to Jadeja and Ashwin and they will run down the flanks, but for the first time Ollie Pope forced them to think hard and the way he played those reverse sweeps and switch-hitting, used his feet brilliantly, it was a Complete package.
The innings not only had the skill but also the intelligence to not only go for the big shots but also take regular singles to rotate the strike, which adds to the pressure. I don’t think I’ve seen such a brilliant shot on this court against an opponent of such quality who is one of the best in the world. In fact, it was a historic coup that cannot be easily forgotten. Even Rohit Sharma hailed Ollie Pope’s call.
England opted for a pacer, Mark Wood, do you think James Anderson will be able to return for the second Test?
Mark Wood is not as experienced as James Anderson. Anderson has less pace, but he has the ability to swing and reverse the ball and deliver it in the right areas to trouble hitters. The experience Anderson brings would be vital. For example, Jasprit Bumrah also took the wicket of Ben Duckett with the old ball. Anderson can play that role with his precision and experience, to be able to participate in the upcoming games.
Will it be a turning point for the second Test in Vizag?
I estimate that the pitch will be almost the same as that of Hyderabad, which is not very far from Vizag. The Vizag pitch is a good track but there is no grass in the Indian pitches so it will be very similar to the Hyderabad pitch.
The Hyderabad course was not exactly a twisty track. I think the curator should get a pat on the back for preparing a sports track that had bends, the pacers and spinners were getting wickets, runs were being scored, so it was a very good pitch and most likely what it is. same in Vizag.
Do you think India can bounce back in the series from here?
Definitely. Don’t rule out India. They will not be able to count on the 11 players who played the last test due to injury problems. But India had lost the first Test of the last series in 2021 and won the series 3-1. So I hope the result remains the same – India wins the series, but there is definitely pressure on the team. There is no doubt about it.