Ravichandran Ashwin
A four-prolonged Indian pace attack stood up to the English challenge with the bat too. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami put up a resounding batting performance at the Lord's while Siraj plucked eight across two innings to conceal the Indian middle-order's repugnancy in the memorable second Test of the five-Test series.
It was the under-fire but experienced pair of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane that stood clutching on Day 4. But in all fairness, Bumrah and Shami's 89-run stand swayed the match in India's favour when the opposition least expected it.
The Indian tail-wagging woes vanished away in no time at all. The two were like poetry in motion -- combining handsome cover drives with unwavering defence -- and giving the English bowlers a stiff workout on the fifth and final day.
What followed was a win for the ages at the home of cricket. Siraj plucked four while Bumrah added three to his name as England, who at one point looked like pulling at least a draw, faltered with a brittle top-order as India, brimming with confidence, gained a 1-0 lead ahead of the third Test at Leeds.
"He's not in the XI in a matter of a month"
In a bid to uphold their crumbling batting unit that would perhaps falter without skipper Joe Root, England have called up Dawid Malan for the Headingley Test, showing the exit door to Dom Sibley and leaving out Zak Crawley from the set-up.
While the Headingley Test will mark Malan's return to the red-ball cricket after a gap of three years, Ravichandran Ashwin's place in the playing XI hangs in the balance. Ashwin, who was got 38 wickets in his last six Tests at a staggering average of 18.02, would perhaps be waiting with bated breath as the management ponders over team combination for the third Test of the series.
“Ishant Sharma walks into the team if he is a 100% fit, maybe in place of Mohammed Siraj. I’m not able to comprehend what changed from the WTC finals when was your first-choice spinner and suddenly in a matter of a month, he’s not even finding a place in the XI,” former India batsman VVS Laxman told ESPNCricinfo.
The Jadeja-Ashwin debate
India continuing with the same "template" as the first Test also surprised Aakash Chopra. “You have not played Ravichandran Ashwin and this pitch is getting slower.
"The edges are also not carrying and that's another thing that is going to be a regular feature of this Test match that the pitch is getting slower and slightly lower. You need spin on the fourth and fifth day, it is almost certain,” the cricketer-turned-commentator said on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin, the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket this year, warmed the bench during both the Tests, leading to an uproar in the fraternity. Fans and pundits felt Ashwin's omission could have hurt India on a final couple of days when the pitch was getting slower.
While the idea was to stick with four seamers, Ravindra Jadeja, the first-choice spinner, had little work to do in the second innings when the pace quartet was performing with ease. Nonetheless, someone like Ashwin, with a truckload of experience to his name and a recent six-wicket haul for Surrey, would have beaten the batsmen regardless of the surface.
One would argue that Jadeja provides more impetus to the Indian batting, giving him an edge over the No.2 ranked Test bowler. However, there are facets to Ashwin's impressive Test career.
A heroic rearguard act with Hanuma Vihari at the SCG and five Test tons adorn the veteran off-spinner's tally of 413 wickets in the traditional format. After a much-improved performance from the Indian tail at Lord's, the team management would ask whether they should seek a bolster of the batting unit.
