"You are not looking at wholesale changes" - Aakash Chopra on the positives for Team India
Aakash Chopra believes Team India have quite a few positives despite the thrashing at Headingley and do not need to make wholesale changes.
The Virat Kohli-led side were handed an innings defeat by England in the third Test as the hosts drew parity in the series. The visiting team was blown away on the fourth morning after having put up some resistance on the third day.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed out that India have more or less a settled combination even though they might have been handed a thrashing. He explained:
"Of course, it is a crushing loss. When you lose by an innings and more runs, you know you have been completely outplayed but you are not looking at wholesale changes. In the first innings, you were dismissed for 78 and in the second innings if you had hypothetically folded for 150, then it would have been catastrophic."
The former India cricketer termed Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli's performances in the second innings as positives for the visitors. Aakash Chopra elaborated:
"Now you have batted the entire third day, of course it would have been better if you had batted a little better on the fourth day. You got important runs from Cheteshwar Pujara and the way he played, Virat Kohli got his first half-century. These are two very important elements that I feel will be in India's favor."
Both Pujara and Kohli scored their maiden half-centuries of the series in the second innings of the Headingley Test. However, they would have hoped to make more substantial contributions for India to put up a fight in the encounter.
Aakash Chopra on the other positives for Team India
Aakash Chopra added that Ravindra Jadeja has also shown wicket-taking form while Rohit Sharma has continued to hold his own at the top of the order. He observed:
"Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets and scored a few runs as well. He has been continuously doing that. Rohit Sharma is continuing in that same form. Only Ishant Sharma's performance has gone slightly down, the rest of them have done decently well."
The 43-year-old signed off by stating that the lack of runs from KL Rahul's willow in the third Test is also not a problem. Aakash Chopra reasoned:
"Rahul's form is not a concern as he has come after scoring runs, one match can go bad. Pujara, Kohli, Rohit - everyone has scored runs."
The top five Indian batsmen have all scored at least one half-century in the series so far. However, they have not been consistent and that has set them back considering that the Indian lower-order batsmen are not renowned for their prowess with the bat.