"If he plays at No. 8, he is actually playing as a pure bowler" - Aakash Chopra on India's likely bowling attack for ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Former India player Aakash Chopra has picked the Indian team's likely bowling attack for the first Test against England. He noted that Shardul Thakur can perform the job of a pure bowler while batting at No. 8.

India will lock horns with England in a five-match Test series, with the first game starting in Leeds on Friday, June 20. The visitors have included five specialist seamers, two seam-bowling all-rounders, two spin-bowling all-rounders, and a specialist spinner in their 18-member squad.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener opined that Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and Karun Nair will likely be the visitors' top six in the first Test against England. He reckoned that all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur can bat at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively, in such a scenario.

"If Karun is at No. 6, you will definitely keep Jaddu at No. 7. Let's not argue about whether he should be at No. 7. He has played at No. 5 in England and scored runs. You have to play Ravindra Jadeja, and he has to bat at No. 7. That is actually too low," Chopra said (6:55).

"If you keep Karun at No. 6 and Jadeja at No. 7, you can play four fast bowlers, and you will be able to manage if one of them is Shardul Thakur, because he has done well in the intra-squad match. If he plays at No. 8, he is actually playing as a pure bowler as he can give you 17-18 overs in a day," he added.

Aakash Chopra noted that India will need Ravindra Jadeja in the bowling attack to manage the over-rate. He pointed out that the left-arm spinner can bowl 12 or 13 overs in a day in 20-odd minutes.

---

They might not play him" - Aakash Chopra on Arshdeep Singh ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Arshdeep Singh is yet to make his Test debut. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that India might consider playing Arshdeep Singh, but are unlikely to go with four specialist fast bowlers.

"They might think about Arshdeep, but they might not play him because, based on what I have seen, they are not going in the direction of a left-armer. Again, these are very early signs, and we are looking from afar. If you want to meet fire with fire, you can also play four fast bowlers," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator urged Shubman Gill and company not to compromise the bowling by playing Nitish Kumar Reddy at No. 7 and Ravindra Jadeja at No. 8, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna as the three specialist seamers.

"Based on what I am seeing, the team might play Nitish Kumar Reddy at No. 7 and Ravindra Jadeja at No. 8, and I will feel now we are going down the wrong route. You are again going to a place where you feel you need a batter who can bowl a little. After that, three fast bowlers - Bumrah, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra highlighted that India will have four proper fast-bowling options if Shardul Thakur plays ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy. While acknowledging that people might say that Reddy can do the same job as Thakur, he pointed out that the latter is a better bowler.