Former England spinner Monty Panesar has offered a crucial piece of advice for Team India ahead of the second Test at Edgbaston—make the new ball count. With the five-match series already leaning in England’s favour after their win at Headingley, Panesar stressed that India’s bowlers must seize the early momentum if they want to avoid playing catch-up again.

In the opening Test, despite posting an impressive 835 runs across both innings, India’s bowling lacked bite beyond Jasprit Bumrah, who struck early by removing Zak Crawley in the first over. England absorbed the pressure cautiously in the first 10 overs of both innings before accelerating once the ball lost its sting—a calculated twist on their aggressive Bazball approach, which Panesar termed “smarter Bazball.”

“England are now playing the first 10 overs cautiously, respecting the movement. Then, once it stops swinging, they launch into attack,” Monty Panesar told IANS. “India have to be ruthless with the new ball. If they don’t strike early, they’ll always be chasing the game—just like they did in Australia, the key is early wickets.”

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India’s young skipper Shubman Gill is facing pressure to bounce back in just his second Test as captain. Panesar believes Gill needs to be proactive in picking the right bowling combination and adapting to English conditions.

He particularly pointed out Prasidh Krishna, who struggled in Leeds. “Prasidh bowls more of an Australian length, which is too short for England. He needs to pitch it up, top of off-stump, and take wickets in his first spell.”

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Panesar also advocated for the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav as an attacking option. “Kuldeep can be the wicket-taker if used aggressively. Jadeja, given his batting, will play but can operate defensively, allowing Kuldeep to attack with attacking fields.”

As India gear up for the second Test beginning July 2, the message is clear: strike early, pick attacking combinations, and apply pressure from the first ball.