Geoffrey Boycott wants England to strategize a better XI for the Chennai Test

The England cricket team is completely down and almost dusted. They flew in for the tour of India just after being beaten by Bangladesh in the second Test of the series and absolutely bamboozled by their spin twin of Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi Hasan. After batting really well in the Rajkot Test where the wicket was a feather belt they have thus far crumbled against the Indian spinners and the score line of 3-0 definitely certifies the fact.

Ahead of the fifth and final Test match that will be played in Chennai from December 16, former England opener Geoffrey Boycott wants a complete overhaul the selection strategy. Playing with four pacers and just two spinners backfired for them in Mumbai where despite immense help from the wicket their bowlers conceded 631 runs while the Indian spinners did not allow them to score even 200 runs in the second innings.

Talking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Test Match Special podcast Boycott said, “I’ve been in games like this, on winning sides and losing sides – when the rolling stone is going downhill, it’s very difficult to stop it. You just fold. You don’t give up but it just goes badly,”

The team combination that England went with in the fourth Test was unjustifiable and in the end, proved to be a fatal mistake. “If the pitch in the next Test is going to be like this, you can open the bowling with (James) Anderson and (Ben) Stokes. You need a third spinner and an extra batsman,” Boycott added.

He also emphasized on the need to select player who are best suited for playing in particular conditions and not just based on their reputation. “I don’t care who you leave out. You can’t pick Stuart Broad just because he’s a good bowler and he says he’s fit, you can’t pick Chris Woakes just because he’s had the best year of his life,” Boycott said.

Former England captain Naseer Hossain went on to put a question mark on Alastair Cook’s captaincy but left it for him to decide. “Only Alastair Cook will know if he’s still got the hunger and appetite to carry on as England captain, and the energy to drive the team forward,” Naseer was as quoted by Daily Mail.

“If he still feels the same way he did when he started, if every defeat hurts him as much now as it did then, I believe he should carry on,” he added.