"There is a possibility of India playing four spinners" - Harbhajan Singh on IND vs ENG 2nd Test
Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh believes that Team India might be tempted to go with four frontline spinners in the second Test of the five-match home series against England.
He opined that if it is a spin-friendly pitch, the Men in Blue could consider dropping pacer Mohammed Siraj for an extra spinner. Harbhajan said in his latest YouTube video:
"From the squad India have picked, I am expecting it to be a turning wicket. If it is going to turn even more than what we saw in the first match, There is a possibility of India playing four spinners, with Jasprit Bumrah being the only fast bowler."
Harbhajan suggested that the hosts should look to prepare a better wicket for the second Test, considering their inexperienced batting lineup, adding:
"I sincerely hope that the pitch will be better than what we saw in Hyderabad. India have a young batting lineup, and we should give them a chance to get some runs under their belt. It will benefit India if a good pitch is prepared."
India were bundled out for 202 on Day 4 of the first Test in Hyderabad, suffering a 28-run defeat. To make matters worse, senior players KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have been ruled out of the second Test due to injuries.
"The onus is on them to score big runs" - Harbhajan Singh on Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer
Indian batters Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer received a lot of flak for failing to make an impact in the Test series opener against England.
Harbhajan Singh believes that the two youngsters must make amends in the second encounter, especially when the hosts will be without the in-form Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also emphasized the importance of skipper Rohit Sharma making a significant contribution at the top of the order. He said:
"Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have performed underwhelmingly in the last few innings. With KL Rahul ruled out, the onus is on them to score big runs. Rohit Sharma will also have to give a good start at the top for India to score around 300 runs in the first innings."
Harbhajan Singh's playing XI for IND vs ENG 2nd Test:
Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, KS Bharat, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav/ Mohammed Siraj