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Sanjay Bangar spoke about why Shubman Gill should bat at No. 3: “If given a choice, Shubman should continue to bat at number 3 because if he does that, I think he sends a positive message to the entire team that 'there was a choice for me to get down to number 4 but we all know that in Test cricket, 3 is a slightly more difficult position than number 4'. So, he would make a quiet statement there that 'I am going to go under tough situations, tough circumstances, and do the job'. And if he does that, he can rally others around him as well and demand a lot more of having walked the talk.”
Sanjay Bangar added that with England also in a transitional phase, the conditions present a big opportunity for the Indian team. He said, “If this group of players manages to win a Test series in England, I think that’s going to be a great start for his [Gill’s] leadership tenure. The calls that have been taken will be vindicated if the tour goes India’s way. I’m pretty hopeful that this will be a series wherein you win a couple of Test matches, and if the other side falters, you might just end up winning the series as well."
He should not get overburdened: Sanjay Bangar on Jasprit Bumrah's workload management
Sanjay Bangar also spoke on managing Jasprit Bumrah’s workload: “First of all, we have to make sure Bumrah doesn’t get overburdened. That is where the team management will have a massive impact by using the bowling line-up picked around him. We saw in the Australia series, there were so many all-rounders, and Bumrah was at times overused because the team wanted him to bowl at all times, and it affected his bowling speeds. In one of the Tests, he was down to 120-129. To help him play five Test matches, you need a stronger bowling unit operating alongside him. The more matches he plays, the higher the chances of India winning.”
Sanjay Bangar shared his thoughts on Karun Nair’s comeback: “Karun Nair will make a comeback straight away in the team on the sheer basis of the runs he has scored. There’s a vacancy in the batting order, and against England, you’d want six specialist batsmen. So, in those six positions, he can certainly find a spot — he could bat at 4 if Shubman is at 3, or even at 6, a number down from Rishabh Pant. He has to be a starter. It’s not about giving younger players a chance first and then bringing in Karun. He will have the first go. If things don’t work well in the first two or three Tests, only then will the team management look beyond him.”
Sanjay Bangar made a strong case for Kuldeep Yadav to lead India’s spin attack ahead of Ravindra Jadeja in the early part of the tour: “Kuldeep Yadav should be India’s frontline spinner for the first three Tests in England. With Ravichandran Ashwin unavailable and Mohammed Shami not in the lineup, India needs a wicket-taking bowler who can make an impact even in swing-friendly conditions. Jadeja is usually preferred overseas for his control and ability to exploit rough patches, but England is unlikely to offer spin-friendly tracks early on. The series begins in June with matches at Headingly, Edgbaston, and Lord’s — all seam-friendly venues. With Nitish Reddy as a batting all-rounder and a pace trio of Bumrah, Siraj, and Akash Deep, India can afford to play just one spinner — and that should be Kuldeep.”
(With Inputs from Press Release)
