India vs England: Brendon McCullum hails Tom Hartley, hints at playing four spinners in second Test

Still buzzing after their remarkable win in the first Test against India, the England head coach Brendon McCullum talked about handing Tom Hartley a debut in the format. The move to select Hartley in the playing XI proved to be a masterstroke as the left-arm spinner picked up seven wickets in the second essay of the opening Test against India. Speaking on SENZ Radio, McCullum recalled Hartley’s remarkable debut and said that it was a risk to play him owing to his limited first-class experience. Though he was quick to add that the management was always confident about his abilities. “He’s only played a handful of first-class games and was probably a bit of a punt, selection-wise. But, we saw something in him that we thought would work over there, and he’s a tough character,” McCullum said. “The way that the skipper handled him was quite remarkable, and he obviously brought us to a Test win. I thought that was a real sign of leadership. “It was a clear message to not just Tom, but those that are around the squad, that when we talk about freedom, taking the game on and trying to come in and make a difference, you’re not going to be cast aside or taken off the crease from the first sign of danger. “I thought it was a magnificent decision by the skipper to do that. And, I think it allowed Tom to feel like he belonged and he knew what his role was.” It was not quite a good start by Hartley as he was taken to the cleaners in the first innings by Yashasvi Jaiswal. McCullum, however, praised the way England captain Ben Stokes handled Hartley and gave him an extended spell. He also drew a parallel to the way Australia took a punt on Nathan Lyon early in his career. “When you see guys who are good enough and the conditions will suit them it is like horses for courses. You got to back your judgement on things like that. If you like the skillsets and the character you need to be brave with the selection call as well,” McCullum added. Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, another uncapped player in the squad, is now available for selection. As per McCullum, they are quite open to fielding all four spinners—Jack Leach, Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed, and Shoaib Bashir—in the second Test. “Bash (Bashir), he was obviously with us during our camp in Abu Dhabi, and he really impressed with his skill set. He fitted in seamlessly within the group, and he’s a guy who’s got an immense amount of enthusiasm, albeit at a young age and pretty limited in his first-class experience.” “When he arrived, boys gave him a huge cheer, and he got to witness something pretty special with the fellas bowling us to a Test win. He comes into calculations for the next Test match,” said McCullum. “If the wickets continue to spin as much as what we saw in the first Test as the series goes on, look, we won’t be afraid to play all spinners or a balance of what we’ve got,” he said. Having suffered a defeat in the opening Test against England, Team India will now be desperately looking for a win in the second game scheduled to start on 2 February.