"Then you are just going down the wrong path" - Aakash Chopra on India's potential bowling combination for ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Shubman Gill and company would go the wrong route if they opt for batting depth over penetrative bowling in the first Test against England. He pointed out that such a move backfired in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.

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

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener was asked whether India should go with four proper seamers along with Ravindra Jadeja for the first Test against England.

"We got a learning from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that if you get a little obsessed about the batting and play batters who can bowl and choose bowlers who can bat, then you are just going down the wrong path," he responded (6:10).

Chopra reckoned that India could go with three specialist seamers and as many all-rounders in Shardul Thakur, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja in the series opener.

"So I am thinking you should have a minimum of three proper fast bowlers. The fourth fast bowler could be Shardul Thakur for sure, if you wish, and then you can have Nitish Kumar Reddy as the fifth bowler and Ravindra Jadeja as the sixth bowler. So you have plenty of bowling options, but the batting is not compromised," he observed.

Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Kirishna will likely be the three specialist seamers in India's playing XI for the first Test against England. Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep are the other two frontline seamers in the 18-member squad.

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"That could be another thought process" - Aakash Chopra on Shardul Thakur not being among the 4 seamers for ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Shardul Thakur has picked up 31 wickets at an average of 28.28 in 11 Tests. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that India could alternatively play Karun Nair as a specialist batter ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy at No. 6 and include a fourth proper fast bowler at Shardul Thakur's expense.

"Otherwise, you can go the route of keeping Karun Nair at No. 6, Ravindra Jadeja at No. 7, and then go with four fast bowlers. That could be another thought process where Shardul Thakur won't be among the four fast bowlers, and you go with four proper fast bowlers," he said (6:50).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Shubman Gill's captaincy approach will be clear in the first Test, highlighting that there is a temptation to play an extra batter when the batting lineup is slightly inexperienced.

"It will be worth watching how this era proceeds in Shubman Gill's captaincy, because when you have even slightly less experience in batting, you are tempted to play an additional batter since enough runs aren't being scored. The Headingley match will decide what our thought process will be," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra reckoned that India should play Kuldeep Yadav as a second spinner alongside Ravindra Jadeja in Birmingham and at The Oval. While acknowledging that it will be a brave call if India opt to go with four proper fast bowlers in Headingley, he opined that it might be the right way as they have had success under Virat Kohli with the same template.