Fri Jun 20 10:00:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and rewrite of the provided text as a news article:
**Summary:**
With Shubman Gill debuting as Test captain, the upcoming five-Test series between India and England hinges on India’s ability to consistently take 20 wickets. Former Indian pace bowler Ishant Sharma, who famously took 7 wickets at Lord’s in 2014, believes that if the Indian batsmen can score around 250 runs in each innings, the bowling attack has the potential to win the series. Sharma suggests a pace attack of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna, emphasizing Krishna’s ability to extract bounce. He believes Bumrah should have the freedom to manage his own workload. Regarding all-rounders, he leans towards Shardul Thakur for his ability to bowl long spells and contribute with the bat. Sharma stresses the importance of adaptability based on weather conditions and strategic use of bouncers. He avoids making predictions but highlights the importance of the Indian batting lineup scoring at least 250 runs per innings.
**News Article:**
**Can India’s Pacers Conquer England? Ishant Sharma Weighs In Ahead of Test Series**
**Headingley, England** – As Shubman Gill prepares to lead India for the first time in a Test series against England, the crucial question is: Can the Indian bowling attack consistently take 20 wickets? The five-match series, starting June 20th, promises to be a stern test of India’s pace capabilities on English soil.
BBC Hindi spoke with former Indian pace spearhead Ishant Sharma, a veteran of English conditions, who famously dismantled England at Lord’s in 2014. Sharma believes the key to victory lies in the batsmen’s ability to provide a solid foundation. “If our batsmen can score around 250 runs in each innings, I think our bowlers are good enough to win the series,” Sharma stated.
When asked about his preferred pace attack, Sharma named Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna. “Bumrah and Siraj are champions, no need to say anything about them. I would pick Prasidh as the third pacer because in England you need someone who can extract bounce.” He also highlighted Krishna’s impressive performance in the recent IPL, saying, “He has taken 25 wickets and it will certainly boost his confidence. I think he is ready to play red-ball cricket now. He is more experienced and fitter than before.”
Sharma also credited Gujarat Titans coach Ashish Nehra for his work with Krishna, encouraging him to bowl fuller lengths, and advised Krishna to focus on hitting the seam, emphasizing that this will allow the ball to swing both ways.
Sharma emphasized the importance of adaptability, stating that weather conditions often trump the pitch itself in England. He advised bowlers to adjust their lengths based on cloud cover and strategically deploy bouncers, but only if the conditions don’t favor swing and seam.
On the subject of workload management for Bumrah, Sharma advocated for giving the star bowler the autonomy to decide his own spell lengths. “I think that decision should be left to Bumrah because he understands his body well,” Sharma said, recalling how Bumrah was given complete freedom during the 2018 Australia Test series.
Regarding the all-rounder selection, Sharma leaned towards Shardul Thakur, citing his ability to bowl long spells and provide valuable lower-order runs. “Shardul is one of those players who always fights for the team and tries to do something different,” Sharma added.
While refraining from making definitive predictions, Sharma reiterated the importance of the Indian batting lineup posting competitive scores. With a young batting lineup and a potent pace attack, India’s chances in this series rest on their ability to combine resilience with aggression.
First Piper 