CHENNAI: We waited and searched if there were any surprise picks in India’s Test squad for England. Will both Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav get a look-in the side or will the selectors persist with the tried and tested duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Though there were no changes, that both Ashwin and Jadeja managed to keep their place in the squad, with Kuldeep being the lone wrist-spinner, did come as a surprise. We live in such times, where the past performances by the two, was threatening to be overshadowed by two youngsters, who through their attacking instinct and the sexy element that they bring in as wrist-spinners, were seen as a much enterprising option.
Instead, the selectors have retained faith in Ashwin and Jadeja, who despite being overlooked in the limited-overs scheme of things, have done little wrong when it comes to bowling with the red ball. In an ideal scenario, talks of playing two spinners shouldn’t really come up for discussions while playing in England. But, this time it is different, thanks to the heat wave that has gripped the whole of the United Kingdom. There is a big temptation within the team-management to play Kuldeep for the first Test in Edgbaston, a venue that usually helps spinners as the Test progresses.
With Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah injured, India would ideally like to strengthen their attack which is why Ashwin and Jadeja make a strong case for their inclusion in Birmingham. “Going by the conditions so far, India will likely field two spinners and if that is the case, they should go with Ashwin and Jadeja as they are experienced. Kuldeep is definitely more attacking than the two, but you need bowlers who play the patient game. We are expecting the conditions to be dry and unlike sub-continent tracks, you get only slower ones there and Jadeja would have more role to play than the others. Among the three, he is the one who can get the ball to turn even on slow wickets,” said former India spinner Maninder Singh.
While most teams preferred to have wrist-spinners in limited-overs, India continued to put faith in finger spin and became stagnant. They moved forward, but whether they can afford to do that in Tests would be determined by what happens in England. Whether Kuldeep performs here or not, this could be a make-or-break series for the two finger spinners.
Currently placed in the top five of ICC Test rankings, they know their past records in away tours is not even half of the numbers they boast in home conditions. They have withstood criticism for bagging wickets on cooked-up pitches at home, and every time somebody points it out, they have been livid. One of their own — Harbhajan Singh, openly mocked them, for bowling on pitches that were tailor-made.
How instrumental they were in India’s rise to the top of Test rankings is easily forgotten, though it happened only one summer back. They are almost outcasts in limited-overs which is why this tour could determine where their Test career is headed. That the conditions have been dry so far has given them an unexpected shot at redemption and underline their pedigree and ascertain why finger spinners are a valuable asset. “While wrist-spinners can get the ball to turn on any surface, they can be equally bad if they don’t find their rhythm. It is all about confidence and with batsmen looking to score off every ball in limited-overs, the risk factor is huge. Not in Tests, where the batsmen will be more patient. That is why finger spinners, with their control, will be more reliable. Last time they toured, they were used to contain run-flow and played second-fiddle to pacers. But that was four years back and since then, they have become more smarter and have improved their skill,” Maninder said.
Essex make bowlers work hard, Ashwin injured
CHELMSFORD: Pacers Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma shared four wickets between them in the absence of an injured R Ashwin as Essex batsmen made India toil hard by reaching 237/5 on Day 2. India lead by 158 runs after finishing their first innings at 395. Off-spinner Ashwin injured his right hand during practice and didn’t take to the field on Thursday as a precautionary measure.
Brief scores: India 395 (H Pandya 51, P Walter 4/113) vs Essex 237/5 (M Pepper 68).
venkatakrishna@newindianexpress.com