India captain Rohit Sharma finds himself in the line of fire after the team’s defeat to England in the first Test of the 5-match series in Hyderabad. India’s loss saw experts questioning Rohit’s tactics and the team’s intent against an England side that came prepared. Rohit’s reluctance to use Mohammed Siraj in the bowling attack, raised questions amongst experts insisting if the pacer is to be used so sporadically, he shouldn’t even be picked in the team for the first test.
The Indian team went with three spinners and two pacers for the first Test. While Mohammed Siraj was used for only 11 overs in the entire match, his pace bowling partner Jasprit Bumrah bowled 24.4 overs, picking up a total of 6 wickets. Mohammad Siraj, on the other hand, was wicket-less. Also with the bat resistance shown by Mohammad Siraj alongside Jasprit Bumrah was not enough to carry India over the line .
Former Indian wicketkeeper now commentator Parthiv Patel questioned the use of Mohammad Siraj as a total wastage for the Indian team playing structure in the first match which somewhat conspired them to loose the match from the winning position at one time.
Mohammed Siraj was used for only 6 or 7 overs throughout the Test match- Parthiv Patel
Former Indian wicketkeeper now commentator Parthiv Patel believes that India should consider dropping Mohammed Siraj from the playing XI for the upcoming second Test against England, given that the spinners are expected to do most of the heavy lifting.
Siraj bowled just 11 overs across two innings and remained wicketless in the Test series opener in Hyderabad. The former keeper-batter opined that instead of persisting with the seamer, the Men in Blue can afford to add depth to their batting lineup.
Speaking to Jio Cinema, here’s what Parthiv said about the team selection:
“There is no doubt that three spinners are enough, but I have a different perspective. You have used Siraj for only six or seven overs throughout the Test. Axar Patel played ahead of Kuldeep Yadav because of his batting abilities, as mentioned by Rohit Sharma before the Test. And if you are not using Siraj much, then why not play an extra pure batter,”
“So, you will have three types of bowlers in Ashwin, Jadeja, and Kuldeep, and the extra batter will add depth to the batting. And there’s no point playing someone if you are going to give him only seven overs,” he added.
India had the upper hand after the first two innings in the opening Test. However, the pendulum shifted in England’s favor, courtesy of Ollie Pope’s gritty 196-run knock.
The hosts failed to chase down a 231-run target in the fourth innings, getting bundled out for just 202 runs on Day 4. Tom Hartley was the pick of the English bowlers in the innings, bagging a stunning seven-wicket haul.
It is worth mentioning that India might need to add more ammunition to their batting department in the second Test, with senior players KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja ruled out due to injuries.
Rohit Sharma on Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj’s batting partnership which to some extend raised India’s hope.
Mohammed Siraj received a lot of flak for his shot selection on Day 4. In the final over of the day, the tailender perished while trying to advance down the pitch and play a wild slog.
It was India’s last wicket, resulting in a heartbreaking 28-run loss. Speaking at the post-match presentation, skipper Rohit Sharma stated that he wanted Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah to take the game to Day 5.
He said:
“We didn’t bat well enough. I wanted them (Siraj and Bumrah) to take the game to the fifth day.”
Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj gave India some hope with their 25-run partnership for the last wicket. However, the hosts ultimately failed to cross the line and now lags 1-0 in the series heading to Vishakhapatnam for the second match of the series starting February 2nd 2024.