‘India have selected the right team’ – Monty Panesar shares contrarian views about India’s playing XI in second Test

Monty Panesar and Jasprit Bumrah (Source: Getty Images)

Unlike many other experts, Monty Panesar felt that India picked the correct playing XI for the second Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The highly-anticipated encounter commenced at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Wednesday, July 2.

At the toss, Shubman Gill announced that they had made three changes to the lineup that lost the first Test at Headingley by five wickets. Experts and fans lashed out at the Indian team management after Jasprit Bumrah was rested and Kuldeep Yadav once again missed out on a spot in the playing XI. Gill mentioned that they looked to add more depth to their batting department, implying that Washington Sundar’s all-rounder abilities helped him get the nod ahead of Kuldeep.

Former cricketers like Ravi Shastri, Michael Vaughan, Sunil Gavaskar, and many others lambasted India’s team selection tactics. However, Panesar gave his vote of confidence to Gill and Co.

“I think you need to rest Jasprit Bumrah because I think this pitch is going to turn, so I think India’s probably picked the right team to pick two spinners. And Edgbaston always turns. So, I think this time they are going to rely more on spin and less on pace,” Panesar said in an interview with RevSportz.

Playing Kuldeep Yadav is a bit too risky: Monty Panesar

Panesar had batted for Kuldeep’s inclusion in place of either Ravindra Jadeja or Shardul Thakur at Edgbaston after India tasted defeat in the first Test. However, the former England spinner took a U-turn and said that India made the right move to bring in Sundar to add more depth to their batting, especially after the collapses in the first Test.

“I think so, because I think what’s happening is that the batting is stronger, and also you have got Washington Sundar, who can be the attacking spinner. [Ravindra] Jadeja can be a bit more orthodox. I think playing Kuldeep Yadav is a bit too risky because the batting can collapse as well. India had a few big collapses so they need to make the batting a bit stronger. And I think they’ve got the bowling spot on, you know, they can take 20 wickets on this pitch,” Panesar opined.

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