Kolkata, July 28, 2025
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly advised head coach Gautam Gambhir to play spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the fifth and final Test of the series against England at The Oval.
India’s spirited fightback in the fourth Test at Old Trafford salvaged a draw for the visiting side on the final day. With the five-match series currently led by England 2-1, the former India captain is confident that the visiting team can win the series finale if they choose the “right bowling attack” and continue their batting momentum.
“I advise Gambhir to play Kuldeep Yadav in the fifth Test and pick the right bowling attack. If we continue to bat like this, we can win at The Oval,” Ganguly told IANS.
On India’s performance with the bat in Manchester, Ganguly said after putting up such a stellar show, the team must be reflecting on their Lord’s result, which they lost by 22 runs while chasing a mere target of 193.
“This is a young team, we have to give some time to them as the team is rebuilding. The way they batted in the fourth innings yesterday, where they scored more than 400, India will feel bad that they lost the Lord’s Test. They batted really well on the fifth day in Manchester, the 190 should have been achieved at the Lord’s,” the former left-handed batter said.
“After a long time, many Indian batters have scored so many runs in an overseas Test series. This is something that makes me happy and is a good sign for Indian cricket. These young players will play for a long time for the country, and their performances in England will certainly give them a lot of confidence. If we improve our bowling, we can win at The Oval,” Ganguly added.
The veteran cricketer further lauded wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for performing consistently on the tour. Pant, who sustained a right foot fracture in the fourth Test, has been ruled out of the final Test of the series.
“He is a very good Test player. He is injured and his foot was fractured; he will take time to recover. He has batted brilliantly in the series,” Ganguly said of Pant.
“India played good cricket and saved the Test match after batting for more than 140 overs. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar played really well,” the southpaw added.
The fifth and final Test of the series will be played at The Oval in London from Thursday.(Agency)
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