India vs. England: Cricket Analyst Calls for Pacer's Omission, Urges Spin Boost for Second Test

Former Cricketer Urges India to Shake Up Bowling Attack for Second Test

Following India's defeat to England in the first Test, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar is advocating for strategic changes to the team's bowling composition. He suggests bringing in left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav to replace Shardul Thakur, aiming to strengthen the bowling lineup after England successfully chased down a target of 371 runs.

Ravindra Jadeja faced criticism for his performance in the first Test against England.

While Jasprit Bumrah claimed a remarkable five-wicket haul in the first innings, the other pace bowlers, including Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur, struggled to make a significant impact. This allowed England to secure a victory with five wickets to spare.

"Kuldeep Yadav has to come back. I'm sorry to say, but Shardul Thakur has to go out," Manjrekar stated on 'Match Centre Live'. He emphasized the need for quality bowlers even if it means playing two spinners in English conditions. "If that means playing two spinners, so be it. Pick your best bowlers, irrespective of the conditions. You don't have the luxury of someone like Mohammed Shami available, or the full-strength pace battery, so I'd go one seamer short and bring Kuldeep into the XI. He has to play."

Sanjay Manjrekar suggests Shardul Thakur should be replaced.

Manjrekar highlighted the increasing favorability of English conditions for spin bowling, attributing this to drier summers. "Let's also acknowledge that English summers these days are largely dry - thanks to global warming, perhaps - and that does open the door for spin. In a way, it's time to reintroduce the idea of India playing spin in England. Ben Stokes has already changed the narrative with common-sense, aggressive cricket. India need to embrace the same clarity."

He further added, "There was a time when India would play three spinners no matter what — whether in New Zealand or England. If Kuldeep is in your squad, play him. Don't go with seamers just because you're playing in England. I'd drop one seamer and bring in Kuldeep Yadav."

Concerns Over Jadeja's Performance

Manjrekar also expressed his expectations for Ravindra Jadeja. "It's not fair to be overly critical of younger players like Prasidh Krishna - there are obvious areas for improvement. But I am going to be critical of Ravindra Jadeja. This was a final-day pitch with rough patches for him to exploit. And while there were a couple of chances, we have to expect more from someone of his experience."

He elaborated on Jadeja's tactical approach, "I felt he didn't use the rough nearly enough — especially against Ben Duckett. Against Ben Stokes, yes, he did make an effort. But it was only much later in Duckett's innings that Jadeja started using the rough properly... Somewhere, I felt Jadeja was disappointing. The seamers had no help from the surface — but Jadeja at least had something in the pitch working in his favour."