Arshdeep Singh grew 'impatient' about his selection in the India vs England series, coach reveals
The start of the new WTC cycle witnessed the Indian team going through a significant transition. Seniors like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from the format as India onboarded the young Shubman Gill as the new Test captain. Among many changes in the Indian Test setup, the shift also presented left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh with his maiden red-ball call-up. With Jasprit Bumrah confirmed to play only a limited number of matches in the India vs England Test series, Arshdeep was anticipated to make his Test debut on the tour. However, the Punjab Kings speedster spent the entire five-match Test series on the bench.
Many expected Arshdeep Singh to feature in the five-match India vs England series, but the tour turned out to be a frustrating one for the pacer. Despite being part of the squad, the left-arm pacer did not get a single game, spending the entire series on the sidelines. With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj locking down their places, and Prasidh Krishna chosen ahead of him for three Tests, Arshdeep’s wait only grew longer. To add to his woes, he picked up an injury ahead of the Manchester Test, ruling him out of contention altogether.
India wrapped up the England Tour with a 2-2 scoreline as Shubman Gill spearheaded the campaign. Now, days after the conclusion of the Test series, Punjab’s bowling coach, Gagandeep Singh, has opened up about how the series laid an impact on Arshdeep. The coach revealed that the long wait wore on Arshdeep, and the youngster grew visibly restless about not getting an opportunity.
“A few months ago, when he was in England, I spoke to him. He was getting impatient because he was not getting a chance. I just told him, ‘You’ve to wait for your time’. I think they should’ve played him in England because he’s a swing bowler and he’s tall, everything’s good," Gagandeep told.
Further ahead in the conversation, the Punjab coach also listed the possibilities behind Arshdeep being sidelined in the India vs England Test series. Gagandeep hinted that perhaps the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and Test captain Shubman Gill were not fully convinced about including Arsdheep Singh in the Playing XI.
“I don’t know the team combinations, probably the coach (Gautam Gambhir) and captain (Shubman Gill) weren’t confident about him,” he said.
So far, Arshdeep has 21 first-class appearances, claiming 66 wickets at an average of 30.37, including two five-wicket hauls. While he has carved out a strong reputation in T20Is, the 26-year-old is yet to debut in Test cricket for India. Gagandeep added that for Arshdeep to break into the red-ball side, he needs to sharpen his swing and accuracy, while also expanding his skill set with greater variation.
“He can be a better bowler with more swing and more accuracy. I haven’t seen him in the last few months, but hopefully when I do, I can assess him better," he said. "From the recent matches that I have observed, he can work more on line and length, yorker balls, and especially bouncers, which are the more effective deliveries in international cricket," the coach added.
