India failed to win the first Test against England despite five centuries in Leeds. The second contest at Birmingham is once again expected to assist the batters, and spinners are also likely to play a key role. India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said that the team is likely to change the strategy for the game starting on July 2. He didn’t reveal the names but almost confirmed that two spinners will be part of the playing XI.

“There is a strong chance of playing two spinners. Let’s see which two will play. The question is now about juggling the batting depth. All three spinners are bowling well,” he said.

“Washington has been batting nicely. So we will see whether to go in with an all-rounder spinner or the specialist spinner. You also need a bowling all-rounder,” he added.

“The wicket has a lot of grass cover, but it is dry underneath. There is also rain forecast for the opening day. We are still thinking about our attacking options. But I’m sure that two spinners will play,” he mentioned.

Doeschate indicated that Nitish Kumar Reddy might be preferred over Shardul Thakur. “He is close to getting a game. He was brilliant in Australia. In the last game, we thought Shardul was ahead as a bowler. We are looking to solve the puzzle so that we can add a batting all-rounder. Nitish is India’s premier batting all-rounder. He has a good chance to play the Test,” he concluded.