Azharuddin Urges India to Diversify Bowling Attack, Reduce Reliance on Bumrah for England Test

Azharuddin Calls for India to Bolster Bowling Attack, Reduce Bumrah Dependence

Jasprit Bumrah

Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has urged the Indian team management to avoid over-relying on their pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah. He also suggested including left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test against England at Edgbaston.

India suffered a five-wicket defeat in the first Test at Headingley, despite centuries from Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The team's batting collapses and the bowling unit's dependence on Bumrah raised concerns. Bumrah was relied upon heavily for both taking wickets and controlling 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, emphasizing that Yadav's inclusion could provide greater control and variety to the bowling attack.

India is set to face England in the second Test, commencing on July 2 in Birmingham. Considering the potential for spin-friendly conditions later in the match, Azharuddin believes that selecting the appropriate bowling combination will be crucial for the team to recover from their defeat at Leeds.

"We lost because of the batting collapse, but now they have to pick the right players. Bowling has to be perfect," he stated.

Azharuddin 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," Azharuddin commented.

The former skipper, who captained India in 47 Tests, emphasized the importance of patience. "We cannot just complain and criticise players like that," he added.