“Might have to leave out either Karun Nair or Sai Sudharsan” - Former captain’s massive take on India playing 11 for ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Former England captain Alastair Cook made a massive claim on India's playing 11 for the second Test, which is set to begin on Wednesday, July 2, at Birmingham. India are in England for a five-match Test series and lost the opening Test in Leeds.

Cook reckoned that the visitors may have to drop either Karun Nair or Sai Sudharsan. He added that they should play Nitish Kumar Reddy as an all-rounder and extra bowling option, along with wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

“They might have to leave out either Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan and play Nitish Kumar Reddy, who can bat and also bowl some phantom seamers, and then they can play Kuldeep Yadav as an extra spinner," he wrote in his column in UK newspaper The Sunday Times. (via The Indian Express)

Karun Nair, upon returning to the Indian team, did not have a memorable outing, registering scores of 0 and 20 across both innings, respectively. Sai Sudharsan, who made his Test debut, was also out for a duck in his first innings. However, he looked good during his 48-ball 30 in the second innings.

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The Indian captain would have felt shell-shocked, says Alastair Cook

Alastair Cook also spoke about India's new Test captain, Shubman Gill, and how he appeared to have taken a backseat during the fourth innings of the opening Test. The England great pointed out that KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant were seen making suggestions and taking calls besides Gill.

“You could see lots of people out on the field making decisions and getting involved with DRS calls, and they got all of those wrong. You can read all the leadership books you like but until you are out there, there is no other feeling like it. I imagine he [Gill] would have felt shell-shocked,” he wrote.

The former England skipper also added that having a more established captain in the second innings would have helped the visitors.

“I think in India’s second innings a more established captain might have thought ‘we’re 340 ahead and five down, let’s put some pressure on England’. As it was they were bowled out with a lead of just over 370 anyway, but it might have helped their situation to have attacked a bit more.”

The visitors will be keen to bounce back and will be under some pressure to level the series in the second Test.

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer