New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) Former England cricketer Monty Panesar has advised India to be ruthless with the new ball and to put early pressure on the English batters is the way to win the second Test at Edgbaston, which starts on Wednesday.

Despite posting a combined 835 runs across their two innings, India’s bowling attack, barring Jasprit Bumrah, who delivered Zak Crawley’s wicket in the first over of England’s first innings, failed to impose themselves on the English batters, allowing them to navigate the tricky play and unleashing attack as the ball wore on, which, in an exclusive conversation with IANS, Panesar described as ‘Smarter Bazball.’

“What we have seen with England, they play the first 10 overs very slowly because the ball moves around; it swings, and when the ball doesn’t do as much, they will start accelerating the scoring. So what they’re doing is they’re playing smarter ‘Bazball’ cricket.

“What India must do is, with the new ball, they need to take wickets. That’s what they’ve got to do and if they don’t do that, I think they’re going to always play catch up. They need, like they did in Australia, they were taking wickets with the new ball. Same thing they have to do here. The way to win Test matches is that India must take wickets with the new ball,” Panesar told IANS.

It certainly was not a great start to Shubman Gill’s captaincy as Test captain as India began their 2025-27 World Test Championship Cycle with the loss.

Panesar believes that although Gill is inexperienced, his efforts should go into curating the best bowling attack. He believes Prasidh Krishna needs to be much better in English conditions and Kuldeep Yadav’s inclusion as the attacking spinner can be a boost and also allow Ravindra Jadeja to take more wickets.

“He’s still inexperienced as a captain. I think Prasidh Krishna bowls the Australian length. He doesn’t bowl the UK length, which is slightly fuller, top of off stump. That’s why I think if he does play, he needs to bowl the ball fuller. He needs to take wickets in his first spell. He can’t be taking wickets, you know, later on.

“ Kuldeep Yadav is going to be the attacking spinner if he plays, and Shubhman Gill, you should use him in an attacking role. I think Jadeja will definitely play because of his batting; he could be the defensive spinner. Jadeja being the defensive spinner, I think that will help him to take wickets.

“So, if Kuldeep Yadav plays, Gill must use him as the attacking spinner, have attacking field sets. Have a field set that looks to take wickets. Kuldeep Yadav’s job is to take wickets,” he added.

–IANS

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