The 4th Test will be played in Manchester from July 23 and last at the Oval from July 31.
Currently in England, the seasoned Indian batter has instructed India's captain, Shubman Gill, who was instrumental in the team's series-winning triumph in Australia four years prior, and head coach Gautam Gambhir to include an additional bowler in the starting lineup for the final two Test matches against England.
India stopped selecting specialized bowlers after losing the first Test match at Headingley and instead stacked their team with all-rounders, which extended their batting and provided them with bowling alternatives.
However, India still lost the Lord’s Test by 22 runs despite a valiant effort by Ravindra Jadeja. To take 20 wickets, Rahane still feels that an additional bowler is necessary. He made it apparent that India will require an alternative, but he did not say whether he would rather have a fast bowler or a spinner.
"We all know that Days 4 and 5 get slightly difficult to bat on. It's not easy to score runs. Yes, England bowled really well. But I felt India missed an opportunity to get that big score on the board in the first innings. And also, I feel going forward, India should look to add one extra bowler—because you're going to win a Test match or a Test series by getting 20 wickets," Rahane said on his YouTube channel.
India's head coach, Gambhir, has always believed in all-rounders. This technique has proven effective in T20s, but he has yet to attain the necessary outcomes in Test cricket.
While Rahane has not particularly named any bowler, India has the options of picking Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna as an extra pacer or Kuldeep Yadav if they want another strike bowler apart from Jasprit Bumrah.
Rahane hailed Ben Stokes for his outstanding fielding performance, which transformed the tempo of the game with the runout of Rishabh Pant. He emphasized how Stokes attacked the ball, picked it up one-handed, and delivered it to the non-striker to force a run-out, which Rahane said swung the tide in England's favor.
"It's very easy for the fielder to get relaxed. When you see only two or three balls left before lunch, you can easily get relaxed. But his attitude towards the ball, his intensity, and getting that run-out—that's where I felt England came into the game. That's what you want to see in Test cricket—all 11 fielders coming together and looking to win the Test match,” Rahane added.
Rahane reflected on India's squandered opportunity, saying it was a match they should have won. He praised KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant's first-innings partnership, saying they batted wonderfully. However, he agreed that India fell 75-100 runs short, which cost them the game.