After vanquishing the Australians on their soil, Team India faced an unexpected defeat in the very first Test against England in Chennai. After this defeat, team compositions of the host were in a lot of circles and discussions, as to what will be the optimum playing XI for the second test. It is the job of the team management, however, I feel that there must be a leg-spinner in the team, the lack of which in the first Test was very evident.
Rahul Chahar, a leg-spinner in the team should be given a chance in the playing eleven of the Test match starting from 13th February. Nevertheless, it has come to light that despite the need of a leg-spinner, he has unfortunately been excluded from the squad.
England has a history of vulnerability against the leg-spin, and it was an opportune moment for India to put an extra pound of pressure on the visitors by including Chahar in the squad. However, team India does not have much options, and can now show some confidence in Kuldeep Yadav. Ravi Shastri and Skipper Kohli have to take a wise call.
The performance of any captain depends chiefly on the strength of the team. Usually, if the team loses a match the captain is called bad and if the team emerges victorious then the same captain is good. Nevertheless, getting into this debate is abortive, and futile.
Three Test matches are left in the series. India, compared to the bowling arsenal, has a good batting battery that has been performing gratifyingly from time to time. The only problem is that Indian players do not play much domestic cricket.
However, it is also true that today international cricket is played so much that they do not have much time, and the young players are busy in India A programmes. If all of them play domestic cricket, then only they will get a chance to face each other. The batsmen will play spinners in domestic cricket, and the spinners will also get a chance to perform against good batting. Both will benefit from this.
Author is a former Indian cricketer and a cricket administrator. Views expressed are author’s own.