Middle-Order Failing, 2nd Seamer Struggling! Owais Shah Highlights India's Major Concerns After Vizag Test

Former England National Cricket Team player Owais Shah has highlighted the major concerns of the India National Cricket Team after the victory of the Rohit Sharma-led side in the second Test match of the five-match series against England National Cricket Team at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam.

The hosts bounced back strong after facing a disappointing loss in the first Test match of the series in Hyderabad and hammered the Three Lions by 106 runs in Vizag to level the series 1-1.

Although the Indian team registered a crushing victory in the match, they still have a lot of issues to address ahead of the third Test. The concerns of the side were pointed out by Owais Shah, who is working with the broadcasters for the five-match series.

During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Shah mentioned that the middle-order batting unit of the side has failed to fire so far in the two Test matches despite getting starts. However, the former England cricketer opined that the return of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul might fix that middle-order problem for India.

“The Indian middle order hasn’t fired properly. A lot of batters got starts but they weren’t able to take advantage of the opportunity. Everyone knows Virat Kohli has to return to the team. KL Rahul, if he is fit, also deserves to be back. The head selector, captain and coach will have to address who misses out and who comes in the team.”

Notably, Virat Kohli had asked for rest for the first two matches of the series while Rahul got injured during the first Test, which resulted in him missing the second Test. Reports claim that Rahul is currently at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and he is on course to be fully fit for the remainder of the series.

Talking about Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers recently revealed the reason behind the modern-day batting great’s absence for the first two Tests and stated that Kohli and Anushka Sharma are expecting their second child.

The second seamer’s position is also looking slightly dicey – Owais Shah

Shah further stated that the second seamer’s spot in the Indian playing XI is also looking slightly dicey. Notably, Mohammed Siraj was Jasprit Bumrah’s partner in the first Test and Mukesh Kumar joined Bumrah after Siraj was rested for the second game. In both the matches, Siraj and Mukesh clearly struggled and Bumrah carried the pace-bowling responsibility single-handedly while delivering sensational spells.

“The second seamer’s position is also looking slightly dicey. It remains to be seen whether they will keep Mukesh or not. Eight or nine days are there before the next Test but that also needs to be addressed,” the former England batter added.

Other than the pacers and middle-order, skipper Rohit Sharma has also been struggling to perform with the bat in the longest format of the game. Many expected Rohit Sharma to step up big time and perform well in the absence of Virat Kohli, but that hasn’t been the case as he has failed to convert his good starts into big scores.

While talking about Rohit, Owais Shah said that Rohit Sharma is a class player and his form isn’t a concern for the side.

“It probably seems like that but he shouldn’t be under pressure. He has played a lot of cricket. He knows that runs are and aren’t scored at times in a career. Everyone knows Rohit Sharma is a class player. He has good numbers in Tests, ODIs and T20Is,” he added.