CHENNAI: AS India get ready to take on England in the first Test at Headingley, Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra backed the youngsters in the team to pull off a surprise in the five-Test series that begins on Friday. The former India left-arm pacer also felt batter B Sai Sudharsan will grab the chance with both hands whenever he makes his debut and that Prasidh Krishna could be a surprise package. “According to me, Sai Sudharsan is a run machine, and he should get a chance on this tour although he is a new player. Even if the pitch conditions in England are tough and if he plays all five Test matches, then the rest will be history,” said Nehra in a virtual interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network on Thursday.
Nehra had nothing but praise for the new Test captain Shubman Gill, who he had mentored in the IPL as coach of the Gujarat Titans. “I personally rate him. Shubman was never captain earlier for the Under-23 squad or Ranji Trophy, but I have spent two to three years with him, and you get to know the guy. He is a quick learner, and is very keen to learn all the time. Since he has played and experienced T20 cricket, which is more fast-paced, he is very composed for his age and is very mature for a 25-year-old. There are so many other things where you can be good or better, but that only comes with experience and playing more matches,” said Nehra. “I know (with) runs nobody can predict, but early runs can take the pressure off Shubman. You feel more confident on scoring more runs,” he added.
Nehra was very optimistic about bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj doing well. “Arshdeep's biggest specialty is that he is very hardworking. And if he has to put in a long spell, he is ready for it. With his experience in the white ball circuit and IPL, and with the help of the other three-four bowlers, he is full of confidence. Whenever he gets his chance, he will do well,” he said. On Siraj, he went on to add, “He is an experienced campaigner, who has always done well in Test cricket. I will not be surprised if he picks up 25-30 wickets in the series. He is pretty much the leader of the attack with Jasprit Bumrah. Whenever the team is in trouble, he will push himself to perform better.”
Bumrah's workload has been a topic of debate amongst many. Nehra contested that it should be left to India's ace bowler, rather than fixing it on a day-to-day basis. “You can't just script this (the workload). This is not a movie,” he added. Nehra also counted on their experience to overcome the English bowling conditions, which are infamous for being very swing heavy. "The youngsters need to pull their weight,” he signed off.
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