BCCI released the latest pictures of Team India’s bowlers at the practice nets in Durham. Recently, the team had a center wicket batting session where Virat Kohli & KL Rahul among others took turns hitting their stride.
It was their first full-blown session after the practice game against County Select XI. Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, and Mohammad Siraj all had a fiery intensity. They were seen getting into rhythm ahead of the 5-match Test series against England.
Also in pictures were the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel bowling under the watchful eyes of the coaches. One of Team India’s bowlers, Shardul Thakur, was missing in the practice session. BCCI shared the pictures on their official Twitter handle. They captioned it: “Team India bowlers having a go at in the nets ahead of the #ENGvIND Test series”
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 29, 2021
Although Axar Patel may not start in the first Test, his guile might come into play later. His slow left-arm deliveries could cause trouble to the English batsmen. They have a majority of right-handers in the top-order as well.
Team India may go in with three pacers and two all-rounders for the first Test
The experienced trio of Ishant, Shami, and Bumrah may not start the first Test together. The swinging conditions in England could be exploited much better by Mohammad Shami or Shardul Thakur. Thakur adds value to the team with the bat as well.
Hence, they might consider squeezing either of the aforementioned two in the team. It adds balance to the team and also brings in more variety. India currently lacks a left-arm pacer in the Test squad. Having a combination of swing & pace can offset the lack of a left-armer.
While the likeliest bowler to be slotted in is Siraj, Virat Kohli might even consider bringing in Thakur. The two combined to pick up nine wickets in the second innings of the famous Gabba Test. Thakur also scored 67 in the first innings and helped India start the comeback in that Test match.
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