Parthiv Patel says India should consider eliminating Mohammed Siraj from the starting XI for the forthcoming second Test against England, considering that the spinners are likely to handle the most of the heavy work.
Mohammed Siraj bowled only 11 overs in two innings and went wicketless in the Test series opener in Hyderabad. The former keeper-batsman believes that rather than sticking with the seamer, the Men in Blue can afford to add depth to their batting order.
In an interview with Jio Cinema, Parthiv Patel discussed squad selection:
“There is no doubt that three spinners are enough, but I have a different perspective. You have used Siraj for only six or seven overs throughout the Test. Axar Patel played ahead of Kuldeep Yadav because of his batting abilities, as mentioned by Rohit Sharma before the Test. And if you are not using Siraj much, then why not play an extra pure batter.
“So, you will have three types of bowlers in Ashwin, Jadeja, and Kuldeep, and the extra batter will add depth to the batting. And there’s no point playing someone if you are going to give him only seven overs.”
Parthiv Patel
India held the upper hand after the first two innings of the first Test. However, the balance swung in England’s favor with to Ollie Pope’s tough 196-run knock.
In the last round, the home team couldn’t reach the 231 runs needed. They only scored 202 by day four’s end. Out of all England’s bowlers, Tom Hartley was top-notch, snagging seven impressive outs.
It’s important to note, for the second Test, India may need more batting power. Especially since key players KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja are benched with injuries.
Rohit Sharma hoped Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj would extend the game to Day 5
Mohammed Siraj took a lot of criticism for his shot selection on Day 4. In the final over of the day, the tailender died while attempting to progress down the pitch and play a crazy slog.
It was India’s final wicket, ending in a devastating 28-run defeat.
During the post-match presentation, skipper Rohit Sharma claimed that he wanted Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah to lead the game to Day 5.
He said:
“We didn’t bat well enough. I wanted them (Siraj and Bumrah) to take the game to the fifth day.”
Rohit Sharma
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj gave India hope with a 25-run stand for the final wicket. However, the hosts finally failed to reach the finish line.