Gargi Raut at the Old Trafford
With Akashdeep injured and Arshdeep Singh also nursing a cut on his finger, India suddenly finds itself thin on pace options. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are the only fully fit frontline pacers. Given the conditions at Old Trafford – wet, overcast, and with a pitch that’s expected to aid seamers – India would want to field its strongest possible bowling attack. But how do they balance that with batting depth? And who gets the nod among the fringe players?
The net session on match day -2 offered a few clues. Typically, there’s a particular net where players who are likely to be in the XI operate. It was notable that Anshul Kamboj, not Prasidh Krishna, started the session alongside Bumrah, Siraj, and Shardul Thakur. That’s a strong indication Kamboj could be in line for a debut and also suggests Shardul Thakur might return to the XI, especially as his ability to swing the new ball could be crucial in these conditions.
Another subtle but significant observation came from Sai Sudharsan. Having tracked his routines across the last few Tests, there’s a visible pattern in his matchday behaviour. Before the Leeds Test, where he played, Sai was seen doing shadow practice at the centre-wicket. In the next two Tests, where he didn’t feature, that routine was absent. But yesterday, on match day -1, despite a rain-hit session where most players trained indoors, Sudharsan went barefoot to the centre-wicket, still under covers, and shadow-batted from both ends. It’s a small detail, but one that strongly hints at his inclusion in the playing XI.
If he does play, he’s likely to slot in at No. 6, which would push Jadeja to No. 7. That in turn could mean Washington Sundar misses out, not because of poor form, but due to the conditions. Two spinners may not be necessary here, and with Jadeja’s back-to-back fifties and all-round utility, he picks himself. The preference, understandably, would be for an extra seamer, which brings us back to Shardul and possibly Kamboj.
The only concern here is that is number 7 too low for Ravindra Jadeja? If India finds itself in another crunch situation like at Lord’s, will Jadeja be able to fish the team out again? Or will he not have enough deliveries left to play with?
All signs, from injuries to net patterns, suggest India’s combination at Old Trafford could be markedly different from the last two Tests. The final XI will reveal itself soon enough, but for now, the hints are all out there for those looking closely.
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