Former cricketer-turned-commentator Dinesh Karthik gave his report card for the Indian bowling unit after the 1st Test ended in a defeat at Headingley.
Karthik Slams Support Pacers
Dinesh Karthik pinted out that Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were in top form, but the lack of support from fellow pacers Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur hurt India’s chances. He emphasized the inconsistency from both Krishna and Thakur, which led to a lack of wicket-taking ability and allowed the game to slip away from the team.
“Bumrah and Siraj bowled a high-quality first spell. They did not get a wicket, but they set it up. Shardul and Prasidh did not bowl consistent lengths — it was all over the place," said Karthik on Cricbuzz.
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Karthik also stated that the Indian team will eventually find bowlers who can make a difference and help defend competitive scores in the future.
"I don't think we genuinely have the skill set beyond certain bowlers who can actually make inroads — that's a fact. You can't be too hard on the Indian team. They will find bowlers eventually, and they will start defending these scores."
Karthik Questions Jadeja’s Strategy, Praises Duckett’s Tactics
He further noted a lack of consistency and planning from Ravindra Jadeja, who, he observed, kept bowling straight instead of targeting the rough.
"He was (Jadeja bowling straight and not into the rough), and that baffles me, because for a man with so much experience, he must know what it means to bowl in the rough. He should've gone wide of the wicket and bowled into the rough."
Karthik also praised the smart batting of Ben Duckett and highlighted his clever stroke play, especially against Jadeja. He noted that Duckett's approach left Shubman Gill clueless on how to set the field.
"What Duckett did today was domination in the purest form, in the most clever manner. The way he just played with Jadeja and Shubman Gill, saying no matter where you put the field, I am going to play that shot," added Karthik.
The first Test served as a reality check for the Indian team. Going into the 2nd Test, improvements in line consistency and holding onto catches will be crucial if they are to stage a comeback.
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