"This English team is more about quantity, not about quality" - Aakash Chopra on the changes in the hosts' squad
Aakash Chopra has pointed out that the current England team lack quality, especially in the batting department.
The hosts have announced their squad for the third Test against India at Headingley. Dawid Malan and Saqib Mahmood have been called in at the expense of Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley.
Speaking about the England squad in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra highlighted that the batsmen apart from Joe Root are just making up the numbers. He elaborated:
"There are so many options but this English team is more about quantity, not about quality. The quality is there in just one player, among the batsmen, and he is Joe Root. The rest of them in Test-match cricket, they are just adding up the numbers at this point in time against India's fantastic bowling attack."
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the England batsmen have succumbed to the might of the Indian bowling attack. Aakash Chopra said:
"This is the reality, hate it or like it. The job this bowling attack has done, the opposition team has fallen slightly on their knees in the batting department definitely."
The Indian seamers have certainly had the wood over the English batsmen. The extent of their domination can be ascertained by the fact that they have taken 39 out of the 40 English wickets to fall, with a run out being the only other mode of dismissal.
Aakash Chopra on the changes in the England squad
Speaking of the inclusion of Mahmood, Aakash Chopra feels England could go in with a seam-heavy attack in the third Test at Leeds. He explained:
"Sibley and Crawley, both have been dropped. Dawid Malan and Saqib Mahmood have been called back into the team. Saqib did really well against Pakistan. He was a part of the squad for the second match, he was then released but now because of Wood's injury, he has been called. There is a possibility, the match is in Headingley, you might want to just spruce up your fast-bowling reserves."
The 43-year-old pointed out that Dom Sibley's poor run forced England to make a change in their batting order. Aakash Chopra observed:
"Malan, yes he is a T20 champion. Malan's story is that Dom Sibley has been struggling. It seems Haseeb Hameed will open and in the middle, you can play Malan or Ollie Pope, you can also send Bairstow at No.3."
Apart from changes to the batting order and personnel, the Joe Root-led side might even consider playing an extra specialist batsman in place of either Moeen Ali or Sam Curran.