All eyes on Kohli’s choice of players as India brace for tough English Test today
Virat & Co. brace for tough challenge
Nottingham, Aug. 3: The toughest four months of Virat Kohli’s eventful leadership career start here on Wednesday when his strategic acumen will be tested while selecting a perfect Indian combination to take on a good England side in the first Test of a five-match series.
Kohli announced his playing XI for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand couple of days before the game and drew flak for not respecting the conditions.
However, on Wednesday, he will have to think overtime about the balance of his squad with a long tail, often bushy with runs, and just two openers — one untested (Rohit Sharma) but very capable and another supremely talented (KL Rahul) but highly reluctant starter.
Rahul, with 2000 plus Test runs, looks a logical choice to partner Rohit after Mayank Agarwal’s concussion but the lack of Hardik Pandya and the utility of two specialist spinners does come into the question.
Bengal’s Abhimanyu Easwaran had last played a first-class game in March, 2020 and that too after enduring a horrendous season. Will the team risk him?
That brings into the equation Hanuma Vihari, the team’s ‘AllPurpose Player’, who had once faced the new ball in Australia.
His handy off-spin, along with that of automatic choice Ravichandran Ashwin, could also pave the way for Shardul Thakur’s entry as the bowling allrounder in place of an experienced Ravindra Jadeja.
Mohammed Shami is still a wily customer and Ishant Sharma still possesses a big heart but they are ageing.
Jasprit Bumrah, since his lower back stress fracture in 2019, is hardly the Test bowler one has come to know but his success in the last series may ensure a start for
him. But where does it leave India’s fastest and most in-form bowler Mohammed Siraj, whose raw pace ousted a concussed Agarwal from this Test match?
It would probably require a leap of faith from the skipper to ignore Siraj’s calibre.
Kohli’s team selections in England last time left a lot to be desired as Kuldeep Yadav was picked to play on a Lord’s green top where he looked like a lamb for slaughter.
Similarly baffling was his decision to ignore a pacer in overcast conditions in his bid to shore up the batting with Jadeja’s presence even though he had to be under-bowled. — PTI