Team India included Prasidh Krishna in the squad for the fourth Test for his remarkable agility and speed. He has a raw pace and his bowling can prove to be effective. He played three one-day internationals, lot of runs were scored against his bowling in these matches but the red ball functions differently.
The team management must have seen his rhythm in the nets. I am sure Krishna will deliver his best. Of course, Bumrah, Shami, Siraj, Ishant, Shardul, and Umesh Yadav are in the team. But the team gives priority to the player who is in the most in rhythm. One in his favor is that England players have not faced him. He can surprise the opposition with his good rhythm.
Nevertheless, I feel the biggest concern is the batting of the visitors. They have to put runs on the scoreboard, and especially, one of the top-order batsmen should score an inning of around 150. This is expected from Virat, Pujara, Rohit, and Rahul. In the first three matches, some of our batsmen scored 50-60 runs but they did not convert it to big scores. Take an example of England’s captain Joe Root. He is the most consistent player of today`s cricket. That is why he is now number one in the ICC Test Rankings. And that’s why Indian batsmen should focus on consistency in this match and they will have to bat smartly.
If you bat first after winning the toss, you have to score more than 400. If our team is bundled out for 78, then it will only put pressure on the team. To score 400 to 500 runs, your approach has to be very disciplined. Then you can think of clinching a victory. There is no doubt that our bowling is strong. If there are enough runs on the scoreboard, bowlers will be able to perform even much better.
Rishabh Pant, especially in the middle order, can be an asset. But he will have to learn from his mistakes. If a batsman like him understands this, then India’s most of the problems will be solved.
A big show from the bat is needed from Virat. He can prove to be a turning point of the match, and can steer the team towards victory. His footwork is also working fine, and there are no shortcomings in his technique, which was criticised earlier. Nonetheless, Kohli’s performance will decide the fate of the match by large.
The writer is a former player of Team India. Views expressed are personal
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