Home
Team India began their preparations in Beckenham for the fourth Test against England just three days after their painful loss to Ben Stokes' brigade at Lord's. India suffered a 22-run defeat at the hands of England in the third Test which has left them in a precarious position in the five-match series.
During this practice session ahead of Manchester Test, the team management is expected to make crucial decisions regarding the composition of the playing eleven for the remaining two matches against England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. India currently trail the series 1-2, a scoreline that could have been different had they capitalised on key moments. Despite performing well in a majority of the sessions played so far, their current deficit will likely prompt head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill to consider strategic changes.
Michael Clarke strongly backs Kuldeep Yadav
With the fourth Test commencing on Wednesday in Manchester, one of the primary focuses for India will be finalizing their Playing XI. It is highly probable that Karun Nair has played his final Test of the tour, and potentially his career. While he showed glimpses of his ability, Nair is the only batter in India's top order who hasn't registered a half-century in the series. Consequently, he is likely to be replaced by either Sai Sudharsan or Abhimanyu Easwaran. While Nair's exclusion seems almost certain, former Australia captain Michael Clarke has suggested another change for India, as he wants Shubman Gill to include Kuldeep Yadav in their playing XI for the Manchester Test. Clarke also praised Ravindra Jadeja's contributions but noted the need for more support from the other end.
"India can hold their heads high, particularly Jadeja, but again, look, I have said it openly. I would still like to see Kuldeep Yadav in that XI. Bring him in. But now I don't know how. Washington Sundar bowled brilliantly, scored some handy runs. Jadeja's batting has been phenomenal. He has saved India on a number of occasions, won India games on a number of occasions. I think if we had somebody hold the other end and didn't get out, he would have gotten them home. I felt for him. And, I felt for India as well. Games like that you would," Clarke said on the Beyond23 Podcast.
The left-arm wrist-spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, has yet to feature in this Test series, which is somewhat surprising considering he is the only specialist spinner in the Indian squad. India's preference for a bowling attack featuring Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar has been attributed to their strategy of bolstering the batting depth. However, it remains to be seen how long they will continue with this approach and keep Kuldeep Yadav out of the playing eleven.
ADVERTISEMENT
