Home / Sports / India Seeks Bowling Breakthrough Ahead of Oval Test Finale
India Seeks Bowling Breakthrough Ahead of Oval Test Finale
28 Jul
Summary
- India searching for "perfect" bowling combination for final Test
- Kuldeep Yadav, a wicket-taker, has been warming the bench for 40 days
- Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja's heroics saved India from defeat in the previous Test
The long-drawn five-match Test series between India and England is heading into its final stretch, with the last match set to take place at The Oval in three days. Despite securing a memorable draw at Old Trafford in the previous Test, India is still searching for the "perfect" eleven, particularly the right bowling combination, to take on the hosts.
India's preference for batting depth at the expense of a specialist bowler has been a constant point of discussion throughout the series, and this issue has become more pronounced after Shardul Thakur, who replaced the injured Nitish Reddy, was used for only 11 overs at Old Trafford. With India conceding over 600 runs for the first time since 2014 in that match, the case for including a wicket-taker like Kuldeep Yadav, who has been warming the bench for the past 40 days, has become stronger than ever.
The Indian team management has acknowledged their efforts to find a way to include Kuldeep in the playing eleven, but the current template of batting till number eight has prevented them from doing so. The team will need to rethink this approach if they want to bring in the left-arm spinner, who is considered a world-class bowler.
The Indian pace attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, has also shown signs of fatigue, and the team will need to manage their workload carefully as they aim to secure a series win at The Oval.
