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Former India captain Sourav Ganguly advised head coach Gautam Gambhir to play spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the final Test against England at The Oval.
Sourav Ganguly (Picture credit: PTI)
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly advised head coach Gautam Gambhir to play spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the fifth and final Test of the series against England at The Oval.
India’s determined fightback in the fourth Test at Old Trafford secured a draw for the visitors on the final day. With England leading the five-match series 2-1, the former India captain is confident that the visiting team can win the series finale by choosing the “right bowling attack” and maintaining their batting momentum.
“I advise Gambhir to play Kuldeep Yadav in the fifth Test and pick the right bowling attack. If we continue to bat like this, we can win at The Oval,” Ganguly told IANS.
Reflecting on India’s batting performance in Manchester, Ganguly noted that after such an outstanding display, the team must be contemplating their Lord’s result, where they lost by 22 runs chasing a modest target of 193.
“This is a young team, we have to give them some time as the team is rebuilding. The way they batted in the fourth innings yesterday, scoring more than 400 runs, India will feel bad that they lost the Lord’s Test. They batted very well on the fifth day in Manchester; the 190 should have been achieved at Lord’s,” the former left-handed batter said.
“After a long time, many Indian batters have scored significant runs in an overseas Test series. This is something that pleases me and is a positive sign for Indian cricket. These young players will represent the country for a long time, and their performances in England will surely boost their confidence. If we improve our bowling, we can win at The Oval,” Ganguly added.
The veteran cricketer further praised wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for his consistent performance on the tour. Pant, who sustained a right foot fracture in the fourth Test, has been ruled out of the final Test of the series.
“He is a very good Test player. He is injured, and his foot was fractured; he will take time to recover. He has batted brilliantly in the series,” Ganguly said of Pant.
“India played good cricket and saved the Test match after batting for more than 140 overs. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar played very well,” the southpaw added.
The fifth and final Test of the series will be played at The Oval in London starting Thursday.
(With IANS Inputs)
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