In the first Test between India and England at Headingly in Leeds, although the Indian top order managed to score tons and put a platform, the lower-order batters were completely blown away after that by the England bowlers with India ending up on sub-par totals on both occasions which enabled England to chase massive 371 runs in the final innings.
“Our tail doesn’t bat and our top order doesn’t bowl. They should bowl a little at least. I am not saying that you need to give 15-odd overs, that you should have a player like Jacques Kallis, or like they (South Africa) are playing Wiaan Mulder at No. 3, or Aiden Markram is bowling a lot,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
In the recently concluded World Test Championship (WTC) final, Mulder, despite not being a top-order batter, has been promoted up the order for South Africa. “It will work out even if that’s not the case. That’s not something you need to focus on. However, you need a little bit of bowling at least because you get some balance, options, and choices with that. However, that doesn’t happen because our batters don’t bowl,” Chopra observed.
Although India does have Shardul Thakur on their side for the first game, who could not make an impact with both bat and ball but he has shown in the past that he can score runs and pick wickets.
Ashwin on Shardul’s role
Shardul Thakur was not given the ball until the 40th over, while other bowlers were having a tough time, apart from Jasprit Bumrah. By the time the all-rounder was brought in, there were set batters at the crease, and the ball also lost its shine and was not letting swing.
“You have taken Shardul Thakur in the team and didn’t give him a ball in the first 40 overs. And Joe Root was batting. And Shardul has a very decent match-up against Joe Root. So, if Shardul Thakur’s role is not less, then I genuinely rate Shardul as a cricketer,” Ashwin analyzed on his YouTube channel.
Thakur does have the knack of picking wickets. “He has caught Ben Duckett and Harry Brook. He can make things happen. But he has to use them at the right time. But if this is going to be the way he is going to be used, I don’t think he is really making any sense. Because he has to be given the ball for him to make a difference. He didn’t bowl that much in the first 40 overs,” Ashwin observed.
