“Won’t Be Afraid To…”: Brendon McCullum hints on taking a big step against India in the 2nd Test

Tom Hartley, made his Test debut, he bagged seven wickets in the second innings as England defeated India by 28 runs.

In addition to leading England to victory in the first Test, Tom Hartley has also caused psychological damage to the Indian batsmen, who may have to contend with an all-spin attack in the second Test, which begins on Friday. Tom Hartley, making his Test debut, scored seven runs in the second innings after hitting for a lot in the first, helping England defeat India by 28 runs in the opening Test. McCullum is excited to examine the track and assess its potential behavior. Despite being a high-scoring field historically, spinners have recently dominated it, suggesting that the circumstances favor the latter.

Similarly, McCullum hinted that uncapped spinner Shoaib Bashir, who was unable to travel to Hyderabad because to a delayed visa, would be given his debut if the pitch does, in fact, benefit the spinners. But Jack Leach, the senior spinner, has a knee problem that will cause anxiety. He would still have four spinners, though, in Hartley, Joe Root, Rehan Ahmed, and Shoaib Bashir, and he could replace Mark Wood with an extra batsman.

“If the wickets continue to spin as much as what we saw in the first Test as the series goes on, look, we won’t be afraid to play all spinners or a balance of what we’ve got,” the former New Zealand skipper was quoted as saying to SEN Radio.

“Bash (Bashir), he was obviously with us during our camp in Abu Dhabi, and he really impressed with his skill set. He fitted in seamlessly within the group, and he’s a guy who’s got an immense amount of enthusiasm, albeit at a young age and pretty limited in his first-class experience.” “When he arrived, boys gave him a huge cheer, and he got to witness something pretty special with the fellas bowling us to a Test win. He comes into calculations for the next Test match,” added McCullum.

Ben Stokes’s ability to so easily manage a somewhat inexperienced spin assault won McCullum over. In his first Test match, Hartley took nine wickets, including a stunning seven for 62 in the second innings.

The 24-year-old overcome the challenges in the second innings, as McCullum feels that Stokes’ decision to let him play freely showed true leadership, despite being destroyed for 131 in the first, particularly by rookie opener Yashasvi Jaiswal.

“He’s only played a handful of first-class games and was probably a bit of a punt, selection-wise. But, we saw something in him that we thought would work over there, and he’s a tough character,” “The way that the skipper handled him was quite remarkable, and he obviously brought us to a Test win. I thought that was a real sign of leadership”

“It was a clear message to not just Tom, but those that are around the squad, that when we talk about freedom, taking the game on and trying to come in and make a difference, you’re not going to be cast aside or taken off the crease from the first sign of danger.

“I thought it was a magnificent decision by the skipper to do that. And, I think it allowed Tom to feel like he belonged and he knew what his role was.” McCullum also admitted that the

“Let’s not forget – and I think this is quite a pertinent point – but Nathan Lyon had only played a handful of first-class games and averaged 40-odd when he first got picked for Australia.” “When you see guys you think are good enough and who you think are going to suit the conditions, it’s sort of horses for courses. You’ve got to back your judgement.

“Sometimes, you’ve got to be a little bit brave with selections. If you like a character and you like their skill set, and you think it can be suited to conditions, then it’s kind of an educated punt,” the coach signed off.

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