'India have selected the right team' - Monty Panesar shares views about India's playing XI in second Test

Former England spinner Monty Panesar voted for the changes India made for the ongoing Test in Edgbaston. Multiple cricket experts lambasted team India's decision to bench Jasprit Bumrah, the pace spearhead, and not include Kuldeep Yadav in the lineup for the highly anticipated second of the five-match Test series. Former international cricketers like Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, and Michael Vaughan questioned India's tactics behind team selection for the second Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The Indian team management relied on spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar to increase some depth in their batting. According to Monty Panesar, India made the right call by selecting Sundar over Yadav.

"I think you need to rest Jasprit Bumrah because I think this pitch is going to turn, so I think India's probably picked the right team to pick two spinners. And Edgbaston always turns. So, I think this time they are going to rely more on spin and less on pace," Panesar said in an interview. 

Panesar's interview was published before Day 2, and as of now, his and Team India's decision to include Washington Sundar paid off as the all-rounder scored a 42-run innings batting at number 8. Unlike the first Test in Leeds, Shubman Gill and Co. did not face the batting collapse in the first innings of the second Test. Undoubtedly, Sundar played his part with the bat in the lower order, which the team badly missed during the first Test. 

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"I think what's happening is that the batting is stronger, and also you have got Washington Sundar, who can be the attacking spinner. Ravindra Jadeja can be a bit more orthodox. I think playing Kuldeep Yadav is a bit too risky because the batting can collapse as well. India had a few big collapses, so they need to make the batting a bit stronger. And I think they've got the bowling spot on, you know, they can take 20 wickets on this pitch," Panesar added. 

The Edgbaston surface already showed that spinners can make some impact in the match. England spinner Shoaib Bashir took 3 wickets in the first innings; 2 he got on Day 2.