Mumbai, Maharashtra – July 27, 2025 – Former Indian cricketer and prominent commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has sharply criticized the Indian team management for what he perceives as flawed selection choices throughout the ongoing Test series against England. Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar urged the team to “dump their inclination” of picking a bowler primarily for his marginal batting contributions.
Manjrekar’s comments come amidst India’s continued adoption of a ‘Bat Deep’ approach, which has seen them consistently play multiple all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur/Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar, often at the expense of an extra pure batsman or a specialist spinner like Kuldeep Yadav.
The results of this strategy have been, as Manjrekar put it, “mixed to say the least.” While Ravindra Jadeja, a mainstay in the team, has offered significant value with the bat, accumulating 347 runs including four fifties, his bowling performance has been largely underwhelming, yielding only seven wickets at an average exceeding 67. Washington Sundar, on the other hand, has shown more consistency, taking seven wickets in three games at an average over 35, including a crucial four-wicket haul. He has also contributed 104 runs in five innings, with a best score of 42, thereby easing the batting pressure on Jadeja.
However, the performances of other bowling all-rounders, Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy, have been less impactful. Shardul, despite a vital 41 runs in the first innings of the current Manchester Test, failed to deliver at Leeds, registering single-digit scores in both innings. With the ball, he has managed only two wickets at an average of 72.00, bowling just 27 overs across two matches. Nitish Kumar Reddy, a batting all-rounder, has taken three wickets at an average of 37.00, but has bowled only 28 overs in two matches. His batting contributions have also been disappointing, scoring just 45 runs in four innings.
Manjrekar asserted that despite the heroics from India’s core batsmen—Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant—the overall selection choices have been “quite poor.”
“We saw what Shardul Thakur was capable of in the first Test, and despite that, he was picked again. This inclination to have a bowler because he can bat a bit has to be dumped. India, in this particular Test match, needed a pure batter,” he emphasized, specifically referencing the ongoing Manchester Test.
Manjrekar argued that while India is currently in a desperate fight to eat into England’s 311-run deficit, with Shubman Gill (78*) and KL Rahul (87*) holding strong at 174/2 at the close of Day 4, the inclusion of a pure batter or a specialist wicket-taker could have made a significant difference earlier in the series.
He pointed to the persistent exclusion of Kuldeep Yadav as a prime example of the team management’s misguided approach. “Kuldeep Yadav not playing the whole series tells you the approach of this Indian team management,” Manjrekar stated. While acknowledging Jadeja’s batting contributions, he lamented his lack of impact with the ball, which has “hurt India.” He also noted that Sundar’s four-wicket haul in the previous game seemed to further cement Kuldeep’s place on the sidelines.
Despite playing only one Test in England in 2018 where he went wicketless, Kuldeep Yadav boasts an impressive overall Test record against England, having taken 21 wickets in six matches at an average of 22.28, including best figures of 5/72. However, he has not featured in Test cricket since the first Test against New Zealand in October 2024. Since his Test debut in 2017, the left-arm wrist-spinner has played just 13 Tests, bagging 56 scalps at a healthy average of 22.16, with four five-wicket hauls to his name. His limited Test appearances despite his proven wicket-taking ability raise questions about India’s selection philosophy.
In the ongoing fourth Test, India faced a monumental challenge after England posted a massive 669 in their first innings, securing a 311-run lead. India’s second innings began on a shocking note, with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan dismissed for ducks by Chris Woakes. However, the resilient partnership of 174 runs between KL Rahul and captain Shubman Gill brought stability to the innings. India finished Day 4 on 174/2, still trailing by 137 runs. Their ability to salvage a draw on the fifth and final day would be a significant achievement given the dire circumstances. Gill (78* off 167 balls) and Rahul (87* off 210 balls) remained unbeaten, adding 126 runs in the final session without losing a wicket, setting the stage for a crucial Day 5.