“India should look to add…” - Ajinkya Rahane wants a change in Indian line-up for Manchester Test

Indian middle-order batter Ajinkya Rahane has suggested that the Indian team management include an extra bowler as it would be crucial in helping the team scalp all 20 wickets in a Test and win the series.

However, with Arshdeep Singh injuring his bowling hand in the nets and Jasprit Bumrah managing his workload, it would be interesting to see how the Indian team picks their playing XI for the fourth Test in Manchester.

It’s important to note that after India lost the Leeds Test by five wickets, Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill changed their approach to have more all-rounders in the XI, which worked well for them in the Birmingham Test. However, the approach didn’t work for India at Lord’s.

"We all know that Day 4 and 5 get slightly difficult to bat on. It's not easy to score runs. Yes, England bowled really well. But I felt India missed an opportunity to get that big score on the board in the first innings. And also, I feel going forward, India should look to add one extra bowler, because you're going to win a Test match or a Test series by getting 20 wickets," Rahane said on his YouTube channel.

Rahane praised Ben Stokes for a brilliant fielding effort that changed the momentum of the game. He highlighted how Stokes attacked the ball, picked it up one-handed, and threw it towards the non-striker to effect a run-out, a moment Rahane felt shifted the tide in England’s favour.

Furthermore, Rahane also heaped praise on England skipper Ben Stokes for being relaxed on the field despite setting a meagre target of 193 runs in the fourth innings. Moreover, Stokes was also involved in an exceptional run-out of Rishabh Pant in the first innings, which changed the game’s complexion.

"It's very easy for the fielder to get relaxed. When you see only two or three balls left before lunch, you can easily get relaxed. But his attitude towards the ball, his intensity, and getting that run-out, that's where I felt England came into the game,” he added.

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