Should Gill Trust His Spinners More? Shastri Comments on Sundar’s Late Bowling Introduction

Manchester, July 25 (NationPress) Former head coach of India, Ravi Shastri, has expressed that captain Shubman Gill needs to place greater trust in his spinners, particularly pointing out the delayed introduction of Washington Sundar into the bowling lineup during the initial session of day three in the ongoing fourth Test against England.

Sundar, who previously claimed 4 wickets for 22 runs in the third Test at Lord’s, was brought into the attack during the 69th over, raising eyebrows as India missed critical opportunities to utilize him earlier in the innings.

“I mentioned in my initial commentary stint that Gill must trust his spinners more. Washington provided India with four wickets in the previous match at Lord's,” stated Shastri.

“He is confident; thus, he deserves a chance. Spinners thrive on longer spells. On such a day, you expect your spinner to take on responsibility and perform,” Shastri remarked during a lunch break on Sky Sports.

He further noted that England had an exemplary session of Test cricket, scoring 107 runs in 28 overs, reaching 332/2 in 74 overs and trailing India by a mere 26 runs, with Ollie Pope and Joe Root remaining unbeaten at 70 and 63 runs.

“England executed a flawless session. They approached their task with absolute professionalism. They needed to withstand Bumrah during the first half-hour and deny India any wickets. With the talented batting attack India possesses, the conditions began to favor the batsmen,” explained Shastri.

“The sun is shining. The pitch has leveled out, making it a challenging prospect for bowlers. This is an ideal opportunity for England to bat India out of the match and occupy the crease for the entire day. Bumrah will find it difficult, especially when the opposition aims to survive his spell,” he elaborated.

Mel Jones, a former Australian women's cricketer, commended Pope and Root for intensifying pressure on India. “From the outset, it was clear this would be an outstanding batting day. With Joe Root, who averages 65 here, and Ollie Pope aiming for a significant series, the stage was set.”

“They navigated through the first 45 minutes well, as India was lively, which you could hear on the stump microphone. Pope and Root gradually wore them down, turning the pressure back onto India,” she added.

Root now requires 57 more runs to surpass Ricky Ponting as the second-highest run-scorer in Test history, a prospect Mel finds thrilling. “He quickly moved past Dravid and Kallis. I appreciated his subtle acknowledgment to the crowd from the non-striker's end,” she concluded.