MUMBAI: It will be crucial to address the flaws from the opening game loss at Headingley, where half of the Subhman Gill-led team performed exceptionally well and the other half failed, as India's second Test against England gets underway at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

Karun Nair's return to the game and Sai Sudharsan's debut were nothing worth remembering when it comes to hitting. Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Kirshna, and Shardul Thakur's performance in supporting Jasprit Bumrah in bowling fell short. After India scored five Test centuries, these five have been left to regret that their inability to improve their game led to some outstanding performances by their teammates being in vain and the loss of the Test.

The half that performed poorly will have trust problems. It's unlikely that Nair and Shardul will be given a long rope. While Sudharsan, Prasidh, and Siraj also have their job ahead of them, they must pull themselves together quickly.

In the extended break between games, Nair would have noticed a trend in the way his previous series in 2017 went and how he was dismissed in Leeds last week—by outplaying him with sloppy strokes.

His downfall in the 2017 home Test series against Australia was his inability to take advantage of starts. In the third Test, he was out for five in Dharamsala; in the first, he scored a 39-ball 26 in Bengaluru, where India triumphed; and in the second, he hit a 47-ball 23 in Ranchi, which resulted in a draw. Despite seeming at ease in all the games, he was unable to capitalize and ultimately lost his spot on the team. The Leeds Test was his first in eight years, and he needs to concentrate more and be careful not to lose his wicket.

One of Nair's challenges is to improve his batting at No.6. He would have felt more at ease between number three and number five, even if he batted between number six and seven against the Aussies in 2017. The team requires him in a different capacity in England. In 2016, he scored a triple century against England in Chennai, but Rishabh Pant is now at number five, Gill at number four, and Sudharsan was chosen by India to be blooded at number three.

A calm demeanor is also necessary when batting at position 6 in order to manage the pressure and lead the lower order. Nair was held accountable for the loss in Leeds because the lower order failed in both innings. He succumbed to 0 and 20 and was not there to direct the tail. Jadeja made an attempt in the second innings but had no one to support him.

THE PROBLEM WITH SAI'S LEG-SIDE

Sudharsan's vulnerability on the leg side was targeted by England, and captain Ben Stokes dismissed him for 0 and 30 caught on the leg side. He flicked to the wicket-keeper in the first innings, and to short midwicket off the pads in the second.

Sudharsan wants to perform his shots. Playing powerful shots is dangerous in English weather. Playing with a light touch and below the eye line is preferable. It's not a good idea to try to force the ball like in the sub-continent since it moves slowly. It necessitates a strong mind, a sound strategy, and ongoing evaluation of the weather and pitch conditions.

PACE ATTACK

In general, the pacers are responsible for leading the bowling in English conditions, although spinners will still play a role in Edgbaston. Bumrah was unable to perform to his full potential in Leeds because the pacers were unable to provide him the necessary support.

Compare it to the 2021 series, when Bumrah had strong support from Ishant Sharma, Siraj, Mohammed Shami, and Umesh Yadav. Even Shardul made significant progress. Ishant, Shami, and Siraj each took nine wickets during the Lord's triumph, while Bumrah failed to get a wicket in the first innings.

Channel bowling is essential for applying pressure when throwing pitches. The other pacers at Leeds, with the exception of Bumrah, were too unreliable.

Siraj's numbers were 27-0-122-2 (ER 4.51) and 14-1-51-0 (3.64). The Hyderabad bowler, who has been an India Test pacer for over four years, was expected to perform better. At Leeds, Siraj was inconsistent. His cross-seam deliveries were simple to handle. An upright seam and getting the ball to move are more rewarding in English conditions. If Bumrah is given a break, he will need to establish the tone for the other bowlers at Edgbaston.

Prasidh would have learned from his forgettable statistics of 20-0-128-3 (6.40) and 15-0-92-2 (6.13) that he cannot go overboard with the short stuff in England. With contempt, he was pulled and hit from outside off-stump. As demonstrated by his two second-innings wickets at Leeds, his best bet for getting wickets is by pitching it up.

What sets Shardul apart is that he will come through with a valuable cameo when the squad is eager for runs and breakthrougns when they are in need of wickets, rather than being an all-rounder who consistently scores 50 runs and takes 5 wickets. As evidenced by periods of 6-0-38-0 (6.33) and 10-0-51-2 (5.10) and cheap dismissals (1 and 4 runs), the typical Shardul was absent at Leeds.

India will have to perform far better as a team than they did at Headingley in order to make a comeback in the five-match Test series.

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