Stuart Broad highlights India's selection blunder in 1st Test against England, says 'He should have played instead of Shardul Thakur'

England's legendary pacer Stuart Broad has pointed out what he believes was a massive blunder made by Team India in their selection for the first Test match against Ben Stokes' brigade at Headingley, Leeds. England successfully chased down the target of 371 runs, winning the match by five wickets to lead the five-match series 1-0. This loss meant India achieved the unwanted record of becoming the first team in Test cricket history to lose a match after their batsmen had collectively scored five centuries.

Following India's defeat, Stuart Broad offered his analysis of their tactics, suggesting that the team's playing combination was not optimal. Specifically, the former English seamer stated his opinion that including left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the team instead of the seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur could have had a considerable positive impact on the game's outcome, especially considering England's known vulnerability against wrist spin bowlers.

“I think they got their team selection wrong, if I'm honest. Kuldeep Yadav should have played instead of Shardul Thakur. Especially with the kind of pitch and England's known struggle against wrist spin, Kuldeep could have made a big difference,” Broad said on ‘For the Love of Cricket’.

Adding to his recommendations, Broad also proposed considering the inclusion of left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI for the second Test match scheduled in Birmingham, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding Jasprit Bumrah's availability for the game.

“If Bumrah is going to be rested at Edgbaston, I’d be tempted to bring in Arshdeep Singh. The left-arm angle and his ability to swing the ball early on could offer something different to India's bowling attack. While Prasidh Krishna improved in the second innings, the attack overall lacked control and wicket-taking threat.It's not panic stations. You can't afford to rip up plans after one loss. India were in control for most of the Test, and just need a few tweaks rather than wholesale changes,” Broad concluded.

Arshdeep Singh received his first call-up to the Test squad for the ongoing series against England. This selection came as a reward for his impressive performances in the shorter formats of the game, where his ability to swing the new ball has been particularly effective, making him a potentially valuable asset in English conditions. The left-arm seamer brings with him experience from 21 first-class matches, in which he has taken 66 wickets at an average of 30.37, including two instances of taking five wickets in an innings. Whether Arshdeep Singh will make his debut in the playing XI remains uncertain, especially considering the presence of another experienced seamer in the squad, i.e Akash Deep.