ENG vs IND: Ganguly urges India to capitalize on strong start at Headingley

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly emphasized the importance of capitalizing on the commanding position India has established in the opening Test against England at Headingley, stating that such opportunities are rare and must be converted into victories.  'India must win the 1st Test vs England'

 

India posted a formidable 471 in their first innings after being put in to bat, with centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal, captain Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant laying the foundation. Reflecting on the performance, Ganguly expressed that the team had a realistic chance to reach the 600-run mark after ending Day 1 at a dominant 359 for three.

 

“No one expected the Headingley surface to be this dry. But if India can push towards 600, the pitch could start showing variable bounce, making things difficult for the batting side. India must win this Test. These kinds of chances don’t come often,” Ganguly told PTI. 

 

'I would've picked Arshdeep Singh'  The team management’s decision to exclude leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh from the playing 11 raised some eyebrows. Ganguly admitted he would have gone with Arshdeep over Prasidh Krishna due to the variety a left-arm bowler brings. “Kuldeep will get his chance later. It’s a long series. I’d have picked Arshdeep for the different angle he offers. But it’s okay, the selected bowlers are talented,” he remarked.

 

He also stressed the importance of Ravindra Jadeja stepping up with the ball, noting that the all-rounder hasn’t been as effective in overseas conditions compared to home games.  Ganguly on England's bowling unit

 

Turning his attention to England’s bowling unit, Ganguly observed a noticeable change from previous years. With experienced names like James Anderson and Stuart Broad absent, the attack is now led by Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and skipper Ben Stokes. Ganguly felt England’s bowlers were lacking precision in their strategy. 

 

“They were bowling too short, especially to Shubman Gill. At one point, all they did was pepper him with short balls. It’s early days, and they will learn, but their current approach lacks the sharpness we’ve seen from England in the past,” Ganguly commented.

 

When asked about India’s chances of winning the series 3-1, Ganguly was cautious. “It’s too early to make such predictions,” he said, choosing to focus on the immediate challenge rather than looking too far ahead.