Former Indian cricketer and current commentator Ravi Shastri has criticised captain Shubman Gill for not trusting his spinners more.
Washington Sundar, who took 4/22 in the second innings of the Lord’s Test, was brought into the attack by Gill in the 69th over, which surprised everyone because India missed the opportunity to use him earlier in the innings.
Shastri felt that Sundar was confident after taking important wickets for India in the Lord’s Test, so he should have been given a longer spell.
“I said on my first commentary stint that Gill has to trust his spinners more. Washington gave him four (second-innings) wickets in the last game. He opened things up for India in the last Test at Lord’s. He’s confident, so give him a go. Spinners like longer spells. On a day like this you’d expect your spinner to accept responsibility, feel accountable and to go out there and do a job,” Shastri said on Sky Sports’ broadcast during the lunch break.
Interestingly, in the second session, when Sundar came on to bowl, he made a big impact by removing the set batter Ollie Pope, who was looking in good touch at the crease, and dismissing Harry Brook in quick succession.
Shastri also felt that England acted very professionally as they handled Bumrah well early on Day Three, and with the pitch now behaving well for the batters, it’s a golden chance for England to go well ahead of India in the game.
“England have had a perfect session. They went about their job in an absolute professional manner. They knew what they had to do. They had to negate Bumrah in that first half hour of play, and deny India a wicket. Then you knew with the attack India had, things would go flat because it’s great batting conditions. The sun is out. The pitch has flattened out as well and it’s hard work now. It’s a great chance for England to bat India out of this contest and bat the whole day. Bumrah certainly can’t do much, especially when the tactic of the opposition is to see you through,” Shastri concluded.
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