Former India's star batter Navjot Singh Sidhu has strongly advocated for India to strategically utilise mystery spinners in their upcoming five-match Test series against England. Navjot Singh Sidhu wants to see India's star spinner and Champions Trophy hero Varun Chakravarthy in India's Test squad for the upcoming series against England. India and England will play a five-match Test series which is scheduled to start from June 20. Sidhu believes that England's historical vulnerability to mystery spin will give India and edge over the hosts.
During an an exclusive conversation with Sports Today, Sidhu urged India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, to prioritise strategic team selection irrespective of his performance in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season which is start from March 22. According to Sidhu, the inclusion of Varun Chakravarthy would be a tactical masterstroke, as the spinner's enigmatic variations could pose a formidable challenge to England's batting order.
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"Mystery spinners are England's weakness. It's a swollen nerve for England. Will you leave out Varun Chakravarthy? No, you will have to play him. Or you will play Kuldeep Yadav with his high-end deliveries from both ends, they can't read him," Sidhu told Sports Today.
India is keen to leverage the momentum gained from their Champions Trophy victory as they prepare for the upcoming Test series, with a focus on rectifying their recent struggles in the longer format. After facing defeats against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and New Zealand earlier in the year, India is determined to establish greater consistency in Test matches. Navjot Singh Sidhu believes that strategically employing mystery spin could be the key to reasserting their dominance.
Chakravarthy's current form strongly supports his inclusion in the series. His impressive performance in the Champions Trophy, where he emerged as the second-highest wicket-taker with nine wickets, including a five-wicket haul, proves his spin prowess. The composition of the Indian team is a big point of discussion, particularly with uncertainties surrounding the roles of senior players like captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, following their less-than-stellar performances against Australia. Sidhu feels that India's best chance of success lies in exploiting England's susceptibility to spin, with Chakravarthy playing an instrumental role in this strategy.
India vs England's Test series schedule:
1st Test: 20-24 June, 2025 - Headlingley, Leeds
2nd Test: 2-6 July, 2025 - Edgbaston, Birmingham
3rd Test: 10-14 July, 2025 - Lord’s, London
4th Test: 23-27 July, 2025 - Old Trafford, Manchester
5th Test: 31 July-4 August, 2025 - The Oval, London