ENG vs IND | Graeme Swann criticises Ben Stokes's captaincy against Pant, Jadeja

Former England spinner Graeme Swann has said that he was not happy with the way England handled veteran left-arm spinner Jack Leach in the second session on Day 1 of the rescheduled fifth and final Test against India in Birmingham. 

He also raised questions on the field settings for Leach against Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja as the duo steadied the ship after five early wicket losses and led the team to a decent total before the stumps.

India were struggling at 98 for 5 after losing Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer in quick succession after the Lunch break, but Rishabh Pant and Jadeja stabilized the ship. They were under pressure early in their game as it was overcast in the early afternoon in Birmingham, but they were able to open their hands once left-arm spinner Jack Leach came to bowl in the 29th over right after Kohli's dismissal. 

Swann has his take on Leach’s introduction in the attack

Leach was brought into the attack to remove them, but Pant and Jadeja took him on. They played with aggression and kept the scoreboard moving too.

The host bought back Leach again in the 37th over, and a well-set Pant, who was batting on 25, took on the left-arm spinner, smashing six and 2 boundaries, which also brought back memories of the stunning knock against Leach during the home Tests of 2021.

"Well, it was a gamble. That's proved to be the point. If you're bowling spin, Jack Leach has come off a 10-wicket match against New Zealand at Headingly on a very different pitch where the ball was turning. This one isn't," Swann told Sony Sports on Friday. 

"I don't mind bringing the spinner if it's a right-hander. Leave your mid-on and mid-off up because the angle might take it away and you might mishit it. But Rishabh Pant, if it's not turning, he is going to hit through the line. There is no spin as such, you're actually making it easier to relieve the pressure," he continued.

"The new way is we are not going to put a deep fielder. I don't think that works. I am more of a fan of having your mid-on float, having him three-quarters back. Say 'if you do want to come down, you have to hit me against the spin.

You have to hit over mid-off'. But they didn't do that. What I believe that has done is just free up Jadeja and Pant to sore quite freely in that session and get India right back into the session. If there's a shot that the batter likes, you cut that shot off. When they did get mid-on back, the two batters were more circumspect," he further added.

However, Rishabh Pant got to his 10th Test fifty in just 51 balls and later smashed a ton before getting out for 146 off 111 with 20 fours and 4 sixes. Meanwhile, Pant is the highest run-getter for India in Tests in the ongoing calendar year having scored nearly 500* so far (and counting) in just 5 Tests.