India are expected to replace their new No. 3 Sai Sudharsan with an all-rounder, Washington Sundar, who is expected to bat late down the order. The two other changes that India are looking at are – Nitish Reddy for Shardul Thakur and Akash Deep in place of Jasprit Bumrah, the pacer rested due to workload management.
The inclusion of Washington and Reddy means India, desperate to draw level in the series they are trailing 0-1, will take the field with three all-rounders. The team’s most experienced player, Ravindra Jadeja, is the third one. This specialist for all-rounder swap shakes up the Indian top-order in a matter of weeks. With Sai out, the last Test’s No.6 Karun Nair jumps to No.3 and Jadeja moves up a place in the ladder.
At Headingley, Sai had started his Test career with a duck, edging an innocuous down-the-leg-side ball into the hands of the wicket-keeper. In the second innings, he got 30 from 48 balls. Though there were reports of Sai nursing a shoulder injury, evident from his weak throw from the outfield, he had sweated it at nets for the last two days. He did the fielding drills, stood with the slip cordon when taking catches and had an extended batting session too.
The decision to leave Sai out is not a verdict on his performance. It has more to do with the team balance, a strategic call by a team that wants an extra spinner but doesn’t want to compromise on their batsmen count. But the change does disrupt the Indian batting order. Akash Deep for Bumrah certainly makes India’s pace bowling weak, and Sai sitting out for Washington sets off a round of musical chairs in the batting unit.
About the addition of the third all-rounder in the side, skipper Shubman had said, ”If fast bowlers are not creating enough chances) then we feel that maybe a second spinner on these kinds of wickets will at least create a run until the second new ball comes,” he said. “Looking at the last match, if a similar wicket is going to be here like it was in the last match,) then a second spinner won’t be a bad option.”
