Ajinkya Rahane makes bold requests to India before 4th Test against England in Manchester

The former Indian captain, Ajinkya Rahane, has made a bold request to the current captain, Shubman Gill, and head coach, Gautam Gambhir, before the fourth Test of the five-match series against England. The tourists are behind the series by a 2-1 margin, after their 22-run defeat at Lord’s, and that’s what makes the Old Trafford game a do-or-die contest.

The veteran batter, who hasn’t yet given up on his comeback in the five-day format, revealed that the Blue Brigade should look to add an extra bowler in the eleven for the remaining two Tests against the Ben Stokes-led side. After the defeat at Leeds in the opening game, the Indian management opted for two all-rounders, who provide not only a few overs but also a few runs with the blade.

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‘We all know that Days 4 and 5 get slightly difficult to bat on. It's not easy to score runs. Yes, England bowled 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 expressed on his YouTube channel.

Ajinkya Rahane makes bold request to Shubman Gill for ENG vs IND 4th Test in Manchester 

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has always believed in the all-rounders, as they come in handy in more than one department. And that plan worked during their 336-run victory in the second game at Edgbaston. Even though its results are temporary, with no solid effect on the longest format yet.

The obvious choice for them to bring a bowler will be the left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav. But who will they drop? Washington Sundar picked up four wickets in the second innings of the clash at Lord’s, while Nitish Reddy also did his job of picking three wickets and adding a few runs with the bat.

The idea of going with an extra seamer may fall on the conditions in Manchester, which has been cloudy for the last few days. Jasprit Bumrah is likely to feature in this contest, which will be a huge positive for the visiting camp.