In anticipation of the second Test against England at Birmingham, former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin has called upon Indian captain Shubman Gill to embrace a more aggressive and risk-taking style of leadership. Haddin's advice stems from his analysis of India's recent performance and what he perceives as a need for more proactive tactics on the field.
Haddin was particularly critical of India's bowling attack in their recent five-wicket loss, pointing out that their inability to maintain consistent lines and lengths was a major factor in the defeat. He noted that despite the batting unit posting strong totals in both innings, the bowlers, with the notable exception of Jasprit Bumrah, largely failed to apply sustained pressure on the English batsmen.
Are we seeing the decline of Ravindra Jadeja?: Brad Haddin
Furthermore, the 47-year-old specifically questioned the selection of Ravindra Jadeja for Tests played in overseas conditions, suggesting his role might be less effective away from home. Haddin advocated for a more attacking option in the bowling department, proposing that wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav should be brought back into the playing eleven. He believes Yadav's inclusion would provide the aggressive wicket-taking threat that India currently lacks.
“Are we seeing the decline of Ravindra Jadeja? I mean, yes, he is effective in Indian conditions and how hard it is to play left-arm spin in India, but I don’t think he is the best option to have in the team spin-wise. I don’t think Jadeja can be effective. Yes, he is a good all-rounder, and he could play as a second spinner, hold at the other end. But I think they need to be more attacking, be willing to lose a Test match with some inexperienced bowlers, but change their mindset on the way they go about it,” Haddin commented on the Willow Talk podcast.
Notably, Jadeja has scored a total of 1304 runs across 30 Test matches overseas. This tally comes at an average of 32.6 runs per innings and includes nine half-centuries and a single century, which he scored in Birmingham back in 2022. Looking at his bowling performance in these away Tests, he has taken 81 wickets in the same number of matches. However, his bowling average of 35.58 runs per wicket in away conditions is significantly higher than his impressive home average of 20.71.
Haddin also expressed his doubt about Jadeja's effectiveness in English conditions and suggested that the team should consider including Kuldeep Yadav in the playing eleven instead. He believes that the Indian side needs to be bold with their team selections and willing to take calculated risks to discover the optimal combination of players.
“I would look at Kuldeep. Someone who is an attacking spinner, who can get wickets. You’ve got a couple of hold-in bowlers. Siraj can play that role, but I think they need to be a bit more bold in their selection of bowlers. If Reddy plays, then you don’t have to play Jadeja and bring the attacking spin option. I think that’s one thing they’ve got to look at, especially away from home,” he added.
As per the reports, Jasprit Bumrah might miss the second Test against England, which will make task even tougher for team management as to what team should field in Birmingham, given they are trailing the five-match series 0-1.