India’s tour of England began on a sour note with a five-wicket loss in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds. While India’s batters, led by some gritty knocks, ensured a strong first-innings total of 471, the visitors faltered when it came to capitalizing on that foundation. A combination of poor fielding, questionable bowling tactics, and lower-order collapses allowed England to wrestle control, sparking criticism from former cricketers and fans alike.

One of the most debated decisions from the Test was the delayed introduction of Shardul Thakur with the ball. India’s new captain, Shubman Gill, waited until the 40th over to bring Thakur into the attack, even as Joe Root and the English middle order had settled in comfortably.

Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin was quick to highlight this misstep, questioning the logic behind sidelining one of India’s proven wicket-takers when he could have been used as an early change option to disrupt England’s momentum.

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“You have taken Shardul Thakur in the team and didn’t give him a ball in the first 40 overs. And Joe Root was batting. Shardul has a decent match-up against Root,” Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. He stressed that Thakur is known to break partnerships, as he has shown by dismissing key batters like Ben Duckett and Harry Brook in the past. “But if this is how he is going to be used, it doesn’t really make sense,” Ashwin added.

In the second innings, Thakur was brought on earlier in the 19th over, but again his workload remained limited—bowling just 10 overs despite snaring two wickets. Ashwin pointed out that while Thakur did make breakthroughs, they seemed more incidental than planned, questioning the strategy of holding him back when wickets were needed the most.

Echoing similar sentiments, former vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane also voiced concern over how Thakur was handled. Rahane emphasized that an all-rounder like Thakur, with proven overseas success, should have been used more proactively, even as a new-ball bowler. “If the Indian team can use Shardul Thakur in a better way, that will be great. He can swing the ball both ways and is a genuine wicket-taker,” Rahane noted on his YouTube channel.

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India’s bowling strategy—and especially the handling of Thakur—has now become a focal point ahead of the second Test. As the series moves to Edgbaston, questions remain over whether Gill and the team management will tweak their approach and fully leverage Thakur’s knack for making things happen when it matters most.