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Former selector Gagan Khoda believes Indian skipper Virat Kohli will be under "no captaincy pressure" in the Pataudi Trophy. Khoda reasoned there aren't any candidates to challenge Kohli for the saddle because his record across formats is too good to be set aside just yet.
The five-Test series, which begins Wednesday, has come at a watershed moment for Team India and their captain. Kohli, apart from lacking the usual oomph in his batting numbers, is coming off a grueling loss in the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final. As is the norm, all eyes will be on him to stage a comeback and extol the team against a troubled English side. Gagan Khoda said in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda:
"There’s no other person to captain the side. I think Virat has done an excellent job. If you look at his records, he’s been phenomenal in all three formats. I don’t think there’s any pressure on Virat regarding his captaincy. He will still be the captain in the coming years. As for his batting, he’s only human, you have to give him that much. There will be some bad patches, he’ll overcome that. He’s a very hardworking guy and I seriously feel that he’s going to do well in England."
The skipper isn't the only one going through a lean patch. The other two senior batters, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, have also been in the same bracket of occasional fabulous knocks sans consistency. But in their case, there are young players waiting in the wings to grab any opportunity they get.
Gagan Khoda acknowledged that the duo are under significant pressure. But he also exuded confidence that they would ride their experience and would turn a corner on this difficult tour. He added:
"It all happens. If you have two or three bad series, you know, the pressure is there on the player, doesn’t matter how much you have played. It’s a crucial, crucial series for both Rahane and Pujara but given the experience, I think they are going to come out of it."
One man who is arguably under the least pressure for his spot on this tour is Rohit Sharma. With the team scrambling for openers after injuries to Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill, Sharma is all but set to play all five Tests. All he's got to manage is the rumbling from the outside.
The senior batsman has looked to the manor born while opening so far, but James Anderson and Stuart Broad in their den will undoubtedly be the biggest red-ball challenge he has faced in a while. Will he be up for it? Gagan Khoda, who also played TWO ODIs for India, asserted:
"England is one of the toughest conditions to bat in and most of our players are stroke makers. Rohit has shown tremendous patience in the last year or so since he opened against South Africa. He’s leaving the ball well while also scoring runs. He has sorted himself out as a Test opener and is more confident against the red-ball. I am positive that he’ll come good in this series."
India should go with four fast-bowlers in the first Test: Gagan Khoda
One of the scars from the WTC final that India will take into the first Test will be their decision to go with two spinners on a typical English green top in Southampton. It was a necessity more than a temptation to utilize the only proven all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, in the lower order but the result wasn't worthy of either.
Gagan Khoda believes that, despite there being no other multi-tasking option, Trent Bridge should see an end to the 3+2 combination. Khoda said visitors should instead opt for a four-pronged seam attack comprising of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj. He added that if the lay of the land demands a spinner, then R Ashwin should replace Ishant. Gagan Khoda said:
"I think it should be four bowlers. It depends on the conditions and the weather report. I think they will need four fast-bowlers there. You are missing an all-rounder so either you play with 6 batsmen or four bowlers. The four bowlers for my side would be Shami, Siraj, Bumrah and Ishant. And if Ashwin has to be there, then my choice for three fast-bowlers would be Shami, Siraj and Bumrah."
When asked whether Shardul Thakur could fill that crucial spot, Gagan Khoda said:
"Yes, I think Shardul can actually bat, he showed that in Australia as well. He’s got the temperament to bat. You should groom him as an all-rounder. It might [if it could start in this series], it’s a long 5-Test match series, so it can happen."
Easwaran should be given preference over Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav: Gagan Khoda
While it's almost certain that India will plunge forward KL Rahul as Rohit Sharma's opening partner for the first Test, the overall pecking order in the batting remains uncertain still. Abhimanyu Easwaran is in the squad as a backup opener while Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw have also been roped in, albeit on the basis of their performances in limited-overs formats.
Gagan Khoda stated that Easwaran should be preferred over the Mumbaikars, given how he was selected ahead of them in the original squad. Gagan Khoda added:
"I don’t know what their thinking process is right now. If they have selected him, I seriously feel that he (Easwaran) should be given the first preference ahead of Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav. Because he has been there and they have just come in. I feel he should be given the preference."
Best chance for India to lift a trophy in England?
India haven't won a Test series here since 2011. The fact that they have only managed just seven wins in the country in over 89 years of their competitive history is a statement in itself. The last time India toured here, they looked like winning in most of the games but couldn't go over the line and lost 4-1.
With Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes unavailable, and the hosts' batting line-up being as fragile as ever, there won't be a better chance to hit the iron. And Gagan Khoda is confident that India have just the right arsenal to make that happen. Gagan Khoda signed off:
"I think so, yes. I think this is a very good team as far as the combination goes. We have some good fast bowlers in the side who can really make a difference. We have got experience in batting, if they put a decent score on the board they are very, very capable of getting 20 wickets and winning consistently."
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