Sourav Ganguly has raised eyebrows over India’s decision to leave a pacer out of their lineup for the ongoing first Test against England in Leeds.
After a dominant first day, England regained some traction on Day 2 of the Test match. Their bowlers showed improvement and energy on Saturday, capturing the initiative. The first hour found India in command, highlighted by Rishabh Pant’s impressive century celebrated with a somersault. However, momentum shifted as England made key breakthroughs, notably dismissing Shubman Gill for a well-made 147. India collapsed thereafter, losing seven wickets for a mere 41 runs and folding for 471.
A brief rain delay followed, after which England began to assert themselves with the bat, facing Jasprit Bumrah. He made an early impact by sending Zak Crawley back to the pavilion, though he did not receive adequate support from his teammates. Ben Duckett, who was dropped twice early on, made 62 runs before being bowled by Bumrah.
Despite a rough start, Ollie Pope found his rhythm as the ball aged and the pitch flattened. He secured consecutive Test centuries. Bumrah continued to threaten, inducing a false shot from Joe Root and claimed Harry Brook’s wicket, though a couple of no-balls halted his progress. England closed Day 2 at 209/3 with Bumrah lacking assistance from the bowlers.
In remarks to PTI, Ganguly expressed confidence that India could have pushed for 600 runs. “No one expected Headingley to be this dry. But getting to 600 creates conditions that can favor the bowlers. India must secure a victory; this opportunity may not come again,” he commented.
Ganguly also critiqued Gautam Gambhir’s player selection, suggesting that Arshdeep Singh would have been a better option than Prasidh Krishna. “Kuldeep’s pace will be slow. It’s a long series. I would have opted for Arsh due to his left-arm angle. But it’s fine; both selections are solid,” he noted.
Discussing England’s bowling strategy, he said, “They have a tendency to bowl short. Yesterday, they seemed to only bowl short to Shubman Gill. But they’ll adjust; it’s just the first Test.”
When asked for a series prediction, Ganguly took a reserved approach, stating, “It’s too early to tell.”
As Day 3 approaches, Pope (100) and Harry Brook (0) will resume their batting efforts, aiming to extend England’s recovery from the previous day.
