India recorded a five-wicket defeat against England in the first Test of the five-match series at Headingley. The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the series by chasing down the target of 371 on the fifth and final day of the match. The upcoming match of the series is now a must-win encounter for the Men in Blue as if they end up going behind 2-0 in the series, then it will be very difficult for them to make a comeback.
Ahead of the second match at Edgbaston which is set to commence from July 2, former India cricketer Ravi Shastri believes that Shubman Gill & Co. need to throw the 'counter-punch' immediately and reminded them that it will require a lot of character for them to make a comeback into the series.
"The most important thing for India is to throw the counter punch almost immediately. When you lose a Test match like this where you have dominated most of it and then you lose it on the last day with a big chase and full marks to England for keeping their composure and doing that, it will need a lot of character to come to the fore and to bounce back in the series," Shastri told The ICC Review.
Shastri wants Bumrah to play in the second Test
Shastri also feels that Jasprit Bumrah should feature in the upcoming clash as it is highly important for the Indian team. Notably, there has been a lot of uncertainty on whether the 31-year-old pacer will be included in the playing XI for the second Test or not due to his fitness issues.
"Now, whether Bumrah plays or doesn't play, one doesn't know. But let's hope he does because this is a very important Test match and all is not lost. It's just you take it one game at a time. It's a five-match series and India will be hoping to bounce back," Shastri added.
The defeat in the first Test once again highlighted India's dependancy on Bumrah for wickets. The pacer took an impressive five-wicket haul in the first innings, but followed that up by going wicket-less on the second occasion as the England batting order barely faced any problems from the Indian bowling attack during their chase of the 371-run target. If Bumrah doesn't play in the second Test, then it will undoubtedly be a major blow for the visitors, however it will also come as an opportunity for the other bowlers to step up and become the side's front-line seamer in the 31-year-old's absence.