Shubman Gill Says India Likely to Field Extra Spinner in Second Test Against England

India captain Shubman Gill has revealed the team’s bowling plan for the second Test at Edgbaston. He said India will likely include an extra spinner instead of a fast bowler. According to him, the idea is to take advantage of rough patches on the pitch between the 40th and 60th overs.

Reason for Choosing Two Spinners

Gill explained that the ball becomes softer after 40 overs, which makes it difficult for fast bowlers to maintain pressure. Therefore, India believes a spinner would be more useful in this phase. “I have spoken to some of the players who were part of the 2018-19 series and they said the balls were slightly different in that series,” Gill told PTI.

Conditions Support the Decision

He admitted that teams don’t usually play two spinners in England. However, he said the conditions in Leeds during the last match showed that an extra spinner could help. “Usually we don’t see two spinners in England but given the conditions in Leeds we thought having an extra spinner would have been good. I think on these conditions having a second spinner will be helpful. If the conditions are same, having a second spinner would be good,” he said.

Previous Match Offered a Lesson

India lost the first Test in Leeds by five wickets. Gill believes a second spinner could have changed the outcome. “In the previous match, if we had had an extra spinner in the fourth innings, the game could have been better,” he noted. He explained that the pitch had patches which spinners could have used better. “Whenever Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeja] bhai was bowling, chances were being created,” he added.

Spinners Offer More Control Later

Moreover, Gill pointed out that spinners are better at containing runs when the ball becomes old. “We also feel that it is easier for spinners to contain runs than fast bowlers, especially when the ball gets old. If you don’t take wickets, it becomes very difficult,” he explained.

In addition, he admitted that dropped catches had hurt the team’s performance. “We bowled well but dropped a few catches too. It’s not easy when you are constantly dropping catches,” he said.

Final Call Depends on Pitch

Furthermore, India has not yet finalized which spinner will play. The decision between Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar will depend on pitch conditions. Gill confirmed this during the press conference, echoing what India’s assistant coach said a day earlier.

Bumrah’s Inclusion Still Uncertain

Finally, Gill spoke about Jasprit Bumrah during India’s final practice session on July 1. He confirmed that Bumrah is fit and available. However, the team will decide on his inclusion on match day after assessing the pitch and weather.