NEW DELHI: Tom Hartley not only played a pivotal role in England's victory in the opening Test but also left a lasting impact on the psyche of the Indian batters. As they prepare for the second Test in Visakhapatnam starting on Friday, they might have to contend with an all-spin attack.
In the first Test, England triumphed over India by 28 runs, with debutant Tom Hartley taking seven wickets in the second innings, despite facing challenges in the first.
England head coach Brendon McCullum is eagerly anticipating inspecting the pitch to gauge its behavior.
Despite being traditionally known as a high-scoring ground, recent trends suggest spinners have dominated, indicating favourable conditions for them in the upcoming match.
McCullum cautioned that should the pitch prove favourable to spinners, the Three Lions would not hesitate to deploy an all-spin attack. He hinted at the possibility of uncapped spinner Shoaib Bashir, who missed the Hyderabad match due to a visa delay, making his debut. However, there is a concern regarding the knee injury of the most senior spinner, Jack Leach.
However in Hartley, Joe Root, Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir, he would still have four spinners and he can replace Mark Wood with an extra batter.
"If the wickets continue to spin as much as what we saw in the first Test as the series goes on, look, we won't be afraid to play all spinners or a balance of what we've got," the former New Zealand skipper was quoted as saying to SEN Radio.
"Bash (Bashir), he was obviously with us during our camp in Abu Dhabi, and he really impressed with his skill set. He fitted in seamlessly within the group, and he's a guy who's got an immense amount of enthusiasm, albeit at a young age and pretty limited in his first-class experience."
"When he arrived, boys gave him a huge cheer, and he got to witness something pretty special with the fellas bowling us to a Test win. He comes into calculations for the next Test match," added McCullum.
McCullum was all praise for the manner in which Ben Stokes handled a relatively inexperienced spin attack with such ease.
Hartley managed to grab nine wickets in his debut Test, including mesmerising figures of seven for 62 in the second innings.
Although the 24-year-old was hammered for 131 in the first innings, especially by young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, he overcame the obstacles in the subsequent innings, as McCullum believes that allowing him to play with freedom was a real sign of leadership from Stokes.
"He's only played a handful of first-class games and was probably a bit of a punt, selection-wise. But, we saw something in him that we thought would work over there, and he's a tough character,"
"The way that the skipper handled him was quite remarkable, and he obviously brought us to a Test win.
I thought that was a real sign of leadership.
"It was a clear message to not just Tom, but those that are around the squad, that when we talk about freedom, taking the game on and trying to come in and make a difference, you're not going to be cast aside or taken off the crease from the first sign of danger.
"I thought it was a magnificent decision by the skipper to do that. And, I think it allowed Tom to feel like he belonged and he knew what his role was."
McCullum also admitted that the selection of Hartley did raise some eyebrows, especially since he had only 40 First-Class wickets in his kitty in 20 outings.
But, he also quickly drew reference to veteran Australian spinner Nathan Lyon, who too was selected on a similar basis before heading to become a vital cog in the Aussie spin department.
"Let's not forget - and I think this is quite a pertinent point - but Nathan Lyon had only played a handful of first-class games and averaged 40-odd when he first got picked for Australia."
"When you see guys you think are good enough and who you think are going to suit the conditions, it's sort of horses for courses. You've got to back your judgement.
"Sometimes, you've got to be a little bit brave with selections. If you like a character and you like their skill set, and you think it can be suited to conditions, then it's kind of an educated punt," the coach signed off.
(With inputs from PTI)
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