ENG vs IND 2018: Fans Want Rishabh Pant And Karun Nair In Team After Lord's Thrashing

The fans have urged for the inclusion of Rishabh Pant and Karun Nair in the playing eleven after India were blown away by England in the second England vs India Test at Lord’s.

The batsmen’s failure once again brought the downfall of the team in yet another overseas Tests. The Indian batsmen learned little from their mistakes in the first Test at Edgbaston.  In fact, their performance in the just-concluded Test was even worse as India could not get past the 130-run mark in either of the innings.  That the game ended inside four days despite the first day being entirely washed out and several rain-interruptions pretty much tells how poor the Indian batting was.

For the fourth innings in a row, the Indian batsmen looked lost against the swinging deliveries. In the first innings, they were all out for just 107 with James Anderson taking 5 for 20. In reply, England scored a mammoth 396 for 7 to put the game beyond India’s reach. And the visitors did little to challenge England.

Trailing by a huge 289 runs, draw was the only option for India. However, it took England less than two sessions to bundle up the world number one Test side. Murali Vijay and KL Rahul continued to disappoint. The duo could not add a single run for the first wicket in the entire game.

James Anderson once again dismissed Vijay for a duck to give England a flying start. He soon sent back KL Rahul to put England on top. At lunch, India were 17 for 2. Afterlunch, it was Stuart Broad’s turn to torment the visitors.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane could add only 18 runs after the break before Stuart Broad dismissed the latter. 15 runs later, Broad castled Pujara to put England on top. Any chances of avoiding an innings then soon disappeared after Broad removed Kohli to leave India reeling at 61 for 5. On the very next delivery, he accounted for Dinesh Karthik to all but seal India’s fate.

At that stage, it looked as if India are set to post a below-100 total. However, R Ashwin and Hardik Pandya stopped the rot. The duo stitched together a 55-run stand to help India cross the 100-run mark. Chris Woakes broke the stand by dismissing Pandya. The lower-order could not delay the inevitable for long as India were all out for 130.

And the fans now want Pant and Nair in the side. That India is bound to make changes in the playing is pretty much clear and the fans think that the team-management should give Nair and Pant a chance. Both the players recently represented India A in England and impressed. Moreover, the middle-order batsmen and keeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik have done little to save their spots in the team.

Here are some reactions from the fans:

Look at the batting depth ?? has right now. Karun Nair, Mayank Aggarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Hanuma Vihari, Ankit Bawne, Rishabh Pant et al. Who do you think can be the next Dravid or Sehwag or Laxman?? My guess is as good as yours!!! Long live the IPL!!!#INDvsENG

— Hitesh (@hitesh_439) August 10, 2018

https://twitter.com/Actor_Siddharth/status/1028706977549975552?

By the 5th Test, Karun Nair will be opening with Rishabh Pant. #EngvInd

— Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) August 10, 2018

Give Rishabh Pant a chance. But how are you going to solve the problem with the openers? All 3 r floundering. A makeshift opening pair must be found for the next Test. #EngvInd

— Sumanth Raman (@sumanthraman) August 12, 2018

Karun Nair and Rishabh Pant HAVE TO play at Trent Bridge. It is our best chance of getting bat to ball. Forget scoring runs. Dinesh Karthik has surely played his last. Hopefully, Vijay too. #ENGvsIND

— Rohan (@roh183) August 12, 2018

#INDvENG
My team for next match
Shikhar
Karun(give a chance to open)
Pujara
Kohli
Rahane
Rishabh pant(wk)
Jadeja
Ashwin
Ishant
shami
Umesh
This team has best possible combination that you have with spinning as well as fast bowling and of course batting

— Kandarp Mehta (@KandarpKm) August 12, 2018

Murali Vijay outside Asia since January 2016
0, 6, 20, 25, 8, 9, 46, 13, 1, 7
134 runs @ 13.4 in 10 innings

Bring in Rishabh pant for 3rd test #ENGvIND

— Sathya (@sathya1405) August 10, 2018