When it comes to winning a Test series overseas, Ajinkya Rahane knows a few things. Due to personal circumstances, Virat Kohli returned to India, leaving in his wake a vacuum. After suffering a terrible loss in the first Test, Rahane guided India to a famous Test series victory in Australia in 2020–21. At the moment, the seasoned Indian batter, who is still hoping to make another comeback in the Test team, is in England; he was also there during the Lord's Test. Rahane advised India head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill, who were instrumental in India's series-clinching win over Australia four years prior, to include an additional bowler in the XI for the final two games against England.

India responded to losing the first Test in Heaingley by loading their team with all-rounders and giving themselves additional bowling choices as well as extending their batting lineup. However, this did not prevent them from losing at Lord's, where India was unable to chase down 193 despite batting until No.9, but the trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar made valuable contributions, making it hard for India to exclude them.

However, Rahane still believes that more bowlers are needed to capture 20 wickets. Although he didn't say whether he would rather have a fast bowler or a spinner, he did state that India would need another option to defeat England in Manchester, along with Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, and Siraj.

"As we all know, the fourth and fifth days might be a little challenging to hit on. Getting runs is difficult. England did bowl quite well. However, in the opening innings, I thought India missed a chance to post a significant score. Additionally, Rahane stated on his YouTube account that India should try to add one more bowler going forward since you will win a Test match or a Test series by taking 20 wickets.

Gambhir, India's head coach, has always had faith in all-rounders. In Test cricket, this approach has not produced the intended outcomes, but in T20s, it has been quite successful.

Who is the additional bowler Rahane is referring to?

Kuldeep Yadav is the clear choice. The crucial issue is, instead of whom? Nitish Reddy also performed his role by taking three wickets in the game, while Sundar took four wickets in the second innings at Lord's.

They could also employ an additional seamer, but this would depend on the circumstances and if they would like to compromise their batting.

India's loss at Lord's is something Rahane ponders.

Ben Stokes made a superb fielding effort that shifted the game's momentum, and Rahane complimented him for it. Rahane saw the turning point in England's favor when Stokes grabbed the ball with one hand, swung it at the non-striker, and executed a run-out.

"The fielder can easily relax," Rahane observed. "It's simple to relax when you see that there are only two or three balls left before lunch." However, I thought that England entered the game due to his mindset toward the ball, his enthusiasm, and getting that run out.

He remembered that India was cruising at around 40 for 1 at the time, but the momentum shifted after Karun Nair's LBW dismissal. Rahane thought that was a turning point, after which England's performance improved dramatically. They displayed excellent character, their fielding intensity rose, and their bowling got better.

In Test cricket, "that's what you want to see — all 11 fielders coming together and looking to win the Test match," he stated.

Despite India's fierce counterattack later, Rahane gave credit to England for their response and for ultimately prevailing in the game.

Rahane commented on India's lost opportunity, stating that the match should have been theirs to win. In the first innings, he praised the partnership between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, noting that they played exceptionally well. He did concede, though, that India fell short of the target by 75–100 runs, which ultimately led to their defeat.

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