Tim Bresnan is the only other inclusion other than the XI that played at Lords
England relished their victory over India in the first Test at Lords to the fullest. The delight was visible at the face of Andrew Strauss who hailed every department of his team for a flawless performance. Kevin Pietersen went on to compare the attendance of the match to the 2005 Ashes series which was a happy breakthrough for English Cricket. In wake of these celebrations, the management has named an unchanged 12 man squad for the next Test starting Friday at Nottingham. The only other inclusion except for the XI that played at Lords is Tim Bresnan who would be reckoning for a place in the side.
However, it is imminent that Stuart Broad will gain the spot for his sharp performance at Lords. Not only did he bowl with great purpose and discipline, he contributed a fair deal with the bat as well. He was another positive for England to take away from the game. Kevin Pietersen’s century ensured that his critics give him some space for the summer. His double ton came at a time when he was being cornered for not having scored runs in England.
From India’s perspective, there would be a lot of thinking to do ahead of the second Test. The Indian team was plagued by fitness problems at Lords. Zaheer Khan’s possible eviction from the second Test would mean that S. Sreesanth or Munaf Patel would be called upon. Both the pacers possess different characteristics and Sreesanth would hold the edge as conditions in Nottingham might support swing. The pacer from Kerala will need to be consistent with his bowling and temperament. He has thrown away some of the opportunities given to him in the past by virtue of indiscipline on the pitch.
Gautam Gambhir also sustained a bruise as he was hit by a full-blooded shot played by Matt Prior while fielding at short leg. He is expected to be fit in time as he showed signs of recovery while playing in the second innings. Fortunately for India, he sustained no major damage as India’s other opener Virender Sehwag has been ruled out of the second Test already. Gambhir’s absence might have forced Rahul Dravid into opening the batting with Abhinav Mukund.
In light of India’s mild batting performance at Lords, the team management might want to include Yuvraj Singh in the side. But for this inclusion to be possible Abhinav Mukund would have to sit out which seems unlikely. Mukund played a good-hand in the first innings missing out on a half-century. His innings was marked by some exquisite play on the on-side.
