- June 26, 2025
Test cricket is a game of wee margins but big decisions. One wrong decision, either with the bat or the ball, and the game can go from deep in the bag to the other end of the spectrum. And that’s exactly what India experienced most recently (the hard way!) at Headingley. Having completed a warm-up of sorts, they have felt the embarrassment of being thoroughly beaten by an aggressive England team. With the second Test imminent, the Men in Blue are not simply thinking of tactical alterations—they find themselves in a precarious situation of weighing the merits of staying with what they know against a calculated risk. What is next?
The Reddy Question: Risk or Reward?
If you have been paying attention during the past week or two, you may have seen a young man doing some heavy lifting in the background. Morkel is asking for more “ball in hand” from the 22-year-old, and the message was clear: Reddy is not going to just be a batting backup; he is being developed as a real all-rounder. The real question now is whether he can take someone like Shardul Thakur’s place?
Thakur is normally a good workhorse, but he did neither containment nor any pressure at all on the England batters. He has not been put under pressure to do much, wouldn’t you want someone like Reddy, who has a bit more batting skills than Thakur?
Backup Blues: Who Complements India’s Pace Trinity?
Let’s discuss bowling strategy. Pitches in England are not the green monsters they used to be. The Duke’s ball (post-2021) is not swinging the same as it once did, so teams have to work harder (and smarter) for wickets.
Which brings us to the real quandary: if Bumrah rests for Birmingham, who will take the slack?
Akash Deep has been decent. Kuldeep Yadav, the wristy wildcard, could flip it on its head. I am thinking you can’t play them both unless the surface demands it. Gautam Gambhir has already indicated that the conditions of the pitch and balance will dictate everything. Fair enough. But when do you stop responding to the pitch and start playing your best hand?
If India sit down on Kuldeep, probably that indicates faith in their top-six to deliver loads with the bat—and that is a risky place to be given their last few collapses. It is like choosing between two slightly crooked ladders—one could work, and the other has great potential for collapse with one false step.
All Eyes on the Batting Core
Let’s not beat around the bush- India’s biggest issue in Leeds wasn’t simply the bowling. It was the two batting collapses. You can’t win any Tests if your top order doesn’t get you off to a decent start.
Jaiswal has looked sharp, but Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill need to do more than look good and need to start cashing in. Kohli’s absence is certainly being felt, and while it will be exciting to have someone like Sarfaraz Khan or Devdutt Padikkal, the time for experimentation may soon be over.
If the top five in preferred batting order are going to stay at the top, then the same bowling-heavy balance can be maintained. Without them, it is like building sandcastles.
Whatever the decision, one certainty is that India cannot slip again. The initial step back into the series starts with understanding roles, combinations, and the style of cricket they want to play. Do they play with the bravado that is their mindset…? Or do they play safe? And that is the balance they need to get right.
Your turn: Which combination would you select? If you were in the dressing room?
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