Visakhapatnam. England’s spirits are high after starting the Test series against India with a win. Debuting spinner Tom Hartley hurt the mentality of the Indian batsmen by bowling brilliant spin in the first match of the five-match series. The team coach has hinted that England can field all spin bowlers in the second Test match starting from Friday.
England coach Brendon McCullum is now eagerly waiting to see the pitch of the second test match. The ground in Visakhapatnam is generally known for big scores but the spinners have been dominating for some time now. McCullum said that if the conditions completely favor the spinners, then his team will not shy away from going with all the spinners in the bowling department. Shoaib Bashir may get a chance to debut in this match, while not much is known about the injury status of experienced spinner Jack Leach.
If Leach remains fit, Bashir can replace Mark Wood, the only fast bowler who played in the first Test. This former New Zealand captain said, “If the wickets continue to turn as the series progresses as we saw in the first Test, then we will not shy away from playing all the spinners.” Bashir was with us in the camp in Abu Dhabi and impressed us with his skills. He easily became a part of this group. Despite his young age and little first-class experience, he is a player who has no shortage of enthusiasm.
McCullum praised captain Ben Stokes for using inexperienced bowlers brilliantly. Indian batsmen had scored runs freely in the first innings against Hartley, but they turned the tide of the match by taking seven wickets in the second innings. “He doesn’t have much first-class experience and was probably a bit vulnerable for selection,” McCullum said. But we saw something in it that would have been effective here. He is a player with a strong spirit.
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Tags: Brendon McCullum, India vs England
FIRST PUBLISHED: January 30, 2024, 21:23 IST