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Former Indian pacer Ashish Nehra outlined the key to bowling in England ahead of the first test. The team are currently posed with multiple conundrums, including their team combination and choice of opener.
Nehra spoke about the team's chances in England, an area of the world they have failed to conquer in whites for 14 years. When asked about the prospect of Mohammad Siraj breaking into the playing eleven for the first test, he said:
"Yes, Mohammed Siraj is waiting in the wings but he has to wait for his turn. Everybody knows that Siraj is a very skillful bowler but here you are talking about a guy like Jasprit Bumrah who has done really well in the last five-six years since his arrival. You have to start with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Ishant Sharma." Nehra said
He added that a swing bowler is not necessarily required to achieve success in England. The former left-arm pacer noted Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad as examples. India's pace trio were singled out for not swinging the ball when compared to their New Zealand compatriots in the World Test Championship Final.
'I don't agree that you need only swing bowlers in England. Look at somebody like Stuart Broad. Even Jofra Archer is not a swing bowler. But they are England's main weapons, so a lot depends on how you bowl and it's not like Bumrah or Shami can't swing the ball or they need one particular surface to achieve results, added Nehra
If Rohit Sharma has a good tour, our chances will be much better: Ashish Nehra
Nehra spoke about the importance of Rohit Sharma to the team, and he believes that India needs a good foundation through good starts.
'I really hope Rohit Sharma has a good England tour. If he has a good tour, then we as a team, our chances will be much better. If you can start well, it will keep a strong foundation," Nehra said
The Indian camp has already lost Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan and Washington Sundar to the tour due to injuries. To make matters worse, Mayank Agarwal suffered a blow to his head during practice and will not be available for the first test, much like replacements Prithvi Shaw and Surhyakumar Yadav, who will be serving their quarantine.
The management are currently pondering over the choice of batsman to open alongside Rohit Sharma. With Agawal not available for selection, the opportunity is likely to fall for either KL Rahul or Abhimanyu Eeswaran. KL Rahul is leading the race for the opening slot having performed well in the warm-up fixture while Eeswaran is yet to make his debut for the team at the highest level.
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