'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Following the highs of Lord’s, Team India were brought down to earth by a methodical England at Headingley. The victory margin, of an innings and 76 runs, was a fair indication of the gulf between the two sides in the third Test.
Right from the moment Virat Kohli won the toss and decided to bat first, it all went downhill for Team India. KL Rahul, their standout batsman in the series, perished to James Anderson in the very first over. It led to a procession that saw Team India fold for an embarrassing 78. Their entire innings lasted less than Rahul and Rohit Sharma’s opening partnership in the first innings at Lord’s.
The bowlers, too, failed to deliver, allowing England to get past 400. And although Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit and Kohli provided hope on Day 3, it all came crumbling down like a pack of cards for Team India on Day 4.
Should Team India go in for these changes in the next Test?
In the wake of Team India’s abject surrender at Headingley, here are some changes the management could ponder ahead of the crucial fourth Test at The Oval.
#1 Vihari in for Rahane
It doesn’t take long for fortunes to change in this sport. At the start of the year, Team India’s vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane was hailed as a hero after he led the side to victory Down Under with a bunch of newcomers. The man himself played a massive role in the memorable win, scoring a series-defining ton in the Boxing Day Test as Team India buried the ghost of Adelaide.
Unfortunately for Rahane and Team India, it has all gone downhill since. In 10 Tests following the MCG hundred, the middle-order batter has only managed 358 runs at an average of 21.05. Four of the Tests were played at home against England, in which he scored 112 runs at an average of 18.66.
In four Tests in England so far, including the World Test Championship (WTC) final, Rahane has aggregated 159 runs at an average of 22.71. Even in the last two Tests of the Australia series, he totalled 87 runs 21.75. Before the ongoing lean spell, Rahane endured a two-year century drought, which he broke with a hundred against West Indies in Antigua in August 2019.
While the numbers are rather discouraging, the manner of Rahane’s dismissals has been equally disappointing. In the ongoing series, England have found it easy to exploit his tentativeness outside off.
A soft-spoken person and a likeable character, Rahane is a hardworking cricketer. He won plenty of plaudits for his wonderful gesture of presenting Nathan Lyon with a signed Team India jersey on the latter’s 100th Test. On the field, though, he is just not looking like the assured Rahane of the past.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to give him a rest and try Hanuma Vihari, who has done decently in his short Test career. Vihari will also provide a part-time spin option. While many seem to be rooting for Suryakumar Yadav, Vihari holds a slight edge with his experience.
The 27-year-old made a fighting half-century on Test debut at The Oval - the venue of Team India’s next match - in 2018. Indian cricket fans will, of course, never forget his Sydney blockathon, when he batted with a hamstring injury. Amid all the talk of being aggressive and expressive, the silent resolve of Vihari could be a welcome addition to the mix.
#2 Rest Ishant, bring back Thakur
Ishant Sharma has been an incisive Team India pacer in the second half of his Test career. At Lord’s as well, he delivered key blows and played a crucial role in the team’s victory. However, despite Kohli’s refusal to admit so, the lanky fast bowler clearly looked less than 100 percent fit at Headingley.
His approach to the crease was strikingly low-key and his delivery stride lacked penetration. Whether it was a niggle or something mental, we still don’t know. But right from the moment he began Team India’s innings with two no-balls and a wide, Sharma never looked in any sort of rhythm.
It would be harsh to judge Ishant on the basis of just one performance. But Team India are anyways looking at rotating their pace bowlers. And it wouldn’t be a bad time to rest Ishant and bring back Shardul Thakur.
Thakur was part of Team India’s playing XI for the Nottingham Test before being ruled out of the next due to injury. Picked ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin, Thakur made a big impact with two wickets in each innings.
The 29-year-old has the ability to pick crucial scalps and can chip in with the bat as well. Given Team India’s middle-order woes, Thakur might provide some much-needed balance to the playing XI.
#3 Ashwin as lead spinner over Jadeja
Will Ravichandran Ashwin get a chance to play in England? Who would have thought this question would be posed with Team India heading into the fourth Test of the five-match series? A mix of pace-friendly conditions and somewhat baffling team selection have led to this uncertainty.
Ravindra Jadeja is a high-quality player himself. But considering that he was chosen as the lead spinner in the first three Tests, his performances have been below par. Despite the conditions not offering much help to the spinners, more was expected of Jadeja, who has managed only two wickets from 76 overs.
Agreed, Jadeja has done a good job with the bat, registering scores of 56, 40 and 30. But Team India need at least one spinner who is capable of picking up wickets. Ravichandran Ashwin did the job rather admirably well in Australia and even in the WTC final, where the pacers let Team India down.
The latest update on Jadeja is that he was taken for precautionary scans on his knee following an injury he sustained in Headingley. If Jadeja is unfit, Ashwin can come in as a direct swap. But even if he is available for The Oval Test, Ashwin deserves a place in the playing XI.
Ashwin has claimed 18 wickets in seven Tests in England at an average of 28.11, which is not bad at all. He would be raring to prove a point if given a chance, unless his confidence has been dented by being made to sit out for three Tests. Of course, what Ashwin can offer Team India is something we will only know if he gets a much-awaited opportunity.
Looking for fast live cricket scores? Download CricRocket and get fast score updates, top-notch commentary in-depth match stats & much more! 🚀☄️
