Playing Ravindra Jadeja ahead of Hardik Pandya could be good idea, believes Mohinder Amarnath
Mohinder Amarnath opined that It might do the Indian team some good if they opt to go for Ravindra Jadeja in place of Hardik Pandya for the second Test at Lordâs. Amarnath hoped that the Indian bowling attack could replicate their performance from the first Test throughout the rest of the series.
Jadeja and Ashwin were on the periphery of the Indian Test team for a long time, well before the duo earned their recall for the ongoing five-match Test series against England. While Ashwin was given a chance in the first Test at Edgbaston, during which he put in a splendid display with the ball, Hardik Pandya was preferred over Jadeja in the playing XI.
But former Indian cricketer, Amarnath, suggested that the inclusion of the CSK all-rounder in the Indian team might turn out to be a blessing in disguise ahead of the second Test at Lordâs.
"It might also be a good idea to play Ravindra Jadeja instead of Hardik Pandya. Jadejaâs spin might be a good foil for the pace trio and Ashwin, and he might also contribute with the bat. It is unfortunate that Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was so good on the last tour, is injured but Jadeja might give the team balance," Amarnath wrote in his column for TOI.
However, Amarnath lauded the performance of the Indian bowling attack in the first match as he hoped that they could continue to trouble the English batsmen in a similar fashion for the remainder of the series. Ishant Sharma picked up a fifer in the second innings while Ashwin picked four in the first as England struggled to tackle the visitors' pace and spin.
"Going forward into the Lordâs Test, the performance of the bowlers will give India a lot of hope. Ishant Sharma was excellent and got wonderful support from Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav. The bonus was the superb bowling spell from R Ashwin and, till the end of the match, it was evident the hosts were not able to read him properly," Amarnath wrote.
However, batting was a concern for the Indians as only skipper Virat Kohli managed to cross the 50-run mark in both innings while the rest of the Indians crumbled one after the other in a narrow 31-run loss at Edgbaston. At such a moment, Amarnath opined that the Indian team would benefit with the addition of Cheteshwar Pujara to the starting lineup who could prove to be crucial during the rest of the series.
"The batting was a reflection of the fact that the top-order needs to really work on their technique, and quickly. Some of the shortcomings I could pick out were that they were too loose, lacked balance and had too much bat speed on their shots. Other than perhaps in London â which is facing an unusually hot summer â the Indian batsmen will have to negotiate the moving ball and they simply need to be
"The team selection, too, needs to be looked into. When batsmen are struggling with the moving ball, it might be a good idea to induct Cheteshwar Pujara into the side. I know he is not in great form, but he has the ability to occupy the crease and just needs time in the middle to rediscover his touch," he added.
