'Two best spinners ... ': Ganguly slams India's 'surprising' XI call

NEW DELHI: India's playing XI for the 2nd Test against England successful Birmingham connected Wednesday has triggered wide debate. The inclusion of 3 caller faces — Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Akash Deep — coupled with the resting of gait spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and the omission of in-form spinner Kuldeep Yadav, drew crisp disapproval from cricketing legends Sourav Ganguly, Sunil Gavaskar, and Ravi Shastri.India’s caller Test signifier has been underwhelming, with conscionable 1 triumph successful their past 9 matches — the team’s poorest tally successful implicit a decade. The struggles continued with a five-wicket decision to England successful the archetypal Test astatine Leeds.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly voiced interest implicit the rotation choices.“I’m not definite whether India are playing their 2 champion spinners,” Ganguly said connected Sony Sports.“England person chosen to tract archetypal — that’s surprising.

But this could beryllium India’s champion chance. Put runs connected the committee and hopefully it works out.”“I had 2 large spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh successful the team. I utilized to halt the tally travel connected Day 1 of the Test and the 2 became unsafe arsenic the lucifer went ahead,” helium added.Sunil Gavaskar questioned the exclusion of Kuldeep Yadav, particularly considering the transportation conditions.

“I'm a small baffled that Kuldeep wasn't picked — particularly connected a aboveground wherever everyone says there’s a spot much turn,” Gavaskar said.

He besides stressed that batting wasn’t India’s superior issue.“If your top-order isn’t scoring runs, past bringing successful Washington astatine 7 oregon Nitish Reddy astatine 8 won’t lick that. Those weren't the batters who failed successful the archetypal Test. You scored implicit 830 runs — not 380 — crossed 2 innings. That’s plenty,” helium added.According to Gavaskar, the squad needed much absorption connected bowling reinforcements.“The country that needed strengthening was wicket-taking, not batting.”Former India caput manager Ravi Shastri was captious of the determination to remainder Bumrah, calling it a misstep successful specified a important match.“You don’t remainder your premier accelerated bowler successful a series-defining Test,” helium remarked, suggesting that Bumrah should not person had the enactment to beryllium out.With Bumrah rested, India fielded Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar arsenic their rotation options successful the Birmingham Test.