Steve Harmison bats for an important change in the Indian playing XI for Manchester Test

The former England seamer Steve Harmison has backed the Indian team to include Kuldeep Yadav in their playing XI for the fourth Test vs England, scheduled to start on Wednesday, July 23, at Old Trafford in Manchester.

However, Harmison felt that it would be a tough call for the Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, to include three spinners in the playing XI, with both Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar putting up promising performances in the ongoing series.

“The wicket in the fourth Test is not going to offer bounce to Kuldeep, but it will spin as the Test match progresses. And with the last three Tests all going deep into the fifth day, India have to seriously consider playing a second or even a third spinner,” Harmison said on JioHotstar.

Notably, there is a lot of confusion on the Indian playing XI for the Manchester Test as the team has been marred with a lot of injuries of late. Also, it would be interesting to watch if Jasprit Bumrah is available for selection. 

“At the moment, their side is well-balanced. But the challenge lies in finding a way to bring Kuldeep Yadav in. You cannot drop Washington Sundar or Ravindra Jadeja. So, can you play three spinners? That would be a big call, especially considering the situation around Jasprit Bumrah. Picking Kuldeep can be the right move, but how would you fit him in? There may have to be a tough decision; is it Sundar who misses out? I wouldn’t want to be the one making that call,” he added.

Furthermore, Harmison added that if there is any venue where Indian can play two or three spinners in their playing XI, that could be in Manchester as the surface is supposed to assist spinners in the latter stages of the game.

“If it’s going to rain anywhere in England, and it hasn’t rained here in almost three months, it’ll be in Manchester. If there’s any venue where you might consider playing two spinners or even three spinners, it’s Manchester,” he observed.

“But I don’t see much pace or bounce in it, and once again, we could be looking at a lower-scoring affair,” he concluded.

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