Gautam Gambhir feels Umesh Yadav will not be included in the playing XI for the Pink-Ball Test against England while Ashish Nehra went on to analyse Ishant Sharma, who will be playing his 100th Test, and the changes he has brought about in his length that has made him successful
Umesh Yadav. Picture/ AFP
The much-awaited Day/Night Test between India and England at the brand new Motera stadium in Ahmedabad is all set to go underway today. Ahead of the third test, pacers seem to be the major talking point and former India batsman Gautam Gambhir and former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra addresses the same ahead of this match.
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, Ashish Nehra talked about how England’s pace attack will pose a stiff challenge for India for the Pink-Ball Test, "Yes, all three fast bowlers (James Anderson, Jofra Archer & Stuart Broad). You just named two really experienced fast bowlers. One, according to me, the most skilful bowler going around right now – Jofra Archer. These three guys, plus you have Chris Woakes; Olly Stone was looking good, then you have guys like Mark Wood who is back. So, there’s no shortage of pace battery, when it comes to the England team. But the main question is, yes, the Pink Ball swings also under lights. What kind of a wicket there will be? If the wicket is useful for fast bowling or the wicket is conducive for fast bowling, then these guys can do big damage, but that only time will tell. The kind of talent they have, if there’s anything in the wicket, they will be really good. Even if there’s not too much help from the wicket, we have seen what James Anderson can do (in the first Test). Stuart Broad can bowl really long spells and trouble the batsman. He didn’t have that good a Test match, the first one which he played, but overall, there’s no shortage of talent, firepower when it comes to fast bowling. So, India should be careful, even on a wicket which might not be useful or helpful for fast bowling."
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Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir feels Umesh Yadav will not be included in the playing XI for the Pink-Ball Test against England, "I don’t see Umesh Yadav in the playing XI. If India has to play with three seamers, then it has to be Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Siraj looks very impressive, the way he bowled in Australia, even the way he bowled in the second Test match. It was nothing for the fast bowlers, but the way he was getting the ball to move, and the kind of speeds he was clocking, was very impressive. So, these three seamers, according to me, will play the Pink-Ball Test match."
Ashish Nehra also went on to analyse Ishant Sharma, who will be playing his 100th Test, and the changes he has brought about in his length that has made him successful, "Not only any Indian fast bowler, but any fast bowler playing 100 Test matches is a big achievement. When people talk about Ishant Sharma’s length, yes, he has altered his length, which is very important in Test cricket. Plus, he is the same old Ishant Sharma, the ball is coming into right-handers, which is really important for him, bowling around the stumps. Earlier, he used to bowl only over the stumps, but still the ball was not going away nicely against left-handers or you can say when right-handers are batting coming in nicely. From the last 18 to 24 months, even around the stumps, forget over the stumps, the ball is going away nicely to the left-handed batsmen. This shows that he is thinking about his game, looking to add new things, and the results have gone in his favour. It’s a great thing for India!"
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