Former India cricketer Ajit Agarkar believes India should not make any changes in their playing XI for the third Test match at Leeds unless the conditions on offer change. In the first two Tests, India went in with four pacers and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
They left out ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Speaking during the media interaction arranged by Sony, Ajit Agarkar said that Ashwin might get a chance, but he doesn’t feel that India should tinker with the playing combination.
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“I can’t imagine (any changes) unless the conditions drastically change, and it is dry if they are expecting hot weather. Ashwin might be the only change, but I can’t imagine why you would change a team after having won a Test match unless you have real problems,” Ajit Agarkar said.
“As good as Shardul bowled in the first test, he might have to miss out since Ishant bowled well in the second Test,” he added.
Conditions in Headingley have been historically good for fast bowling: Ajit Agarkar
The Indian seamers have been dominating the English batsmen in the series so far. They have managed to bowl England out on all four occasions. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are leading the bowling charts in the series with 12 and 11 wickets respectively.
Ajit Agarkar feels that given the conditions in Headingley, the seamers will once again enjoy being out on the field.
“I remember playing that 2002 Test. We batted first playing on a green surface. We played a very different attack with two seamers and two spinners. This attack is different, and conditions in Headingley have historically been good for fast bowling..so I think India’s seam bowlers will enjoy bowling here,” Ajit Agarkar concluded.
