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Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has cautioned the team management against over-reliance on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and called for the inclusion of left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test against England at Edgbaston.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India went down by five wickets in the first Test at Headingley, despite centuries from Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, the team faltered with repeated collapses and a bowling unit heavily dependent on Bumrah to both take wickets and control the run rate.
“They are too much dependent on Bumrah. It’s not easy because you need more experienced bowlers, and they should play Kuldeep Yadav,” Azharuddin told PTI Videos, suggesting that the wrist-spinner’s inclusion could offer more control and variety.
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India will face England in the second Test starting July 2 in Birmingham. With conditions likely to favour spin later in the match, Azhar said picking the right bowling combination will be key to bouncing back from the Leeds defeat.“We lost because of the batting collapse, but now they have to pick the right players. Bowling has to be perfect,” he noted.
Azhar also defended new Test captain Shubman Gill, who is leading India for the first time in a five-match series. “This is just his first match as captain. You can’t talk about captaincy so early. He should be given a fair chance, support, and time,” Azhar said.The former skipper, who led India in 47 Tests, stressed that patience is crucial. “We cannot just complain and criticise players like that,” he added.
