Manjrekar Calls for Thakur's Removal, Yadav's Inclusion After India's Test Loss

Manjrekar Advocates for Bowling Shake-Up After India's Test Defeat

Following India's defeat to England in the first Test, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar is urging the team management to make strategic changes to the bowling attack. He specifically suggests replacing Shardul Thakur with left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the second Test. This recommendation comes in response to the perceived inadequacies in India's bowling performance during England's successful chase of 371 runs.

Ravindra Jadeja faced criticism after the first Test against England.

While Jasprit Bumrah shone with a 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 remaining.

"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 further elaborated on the need for quality bowlers, even if it means adjusting the team's balance. "That is one change India will have to make. As for Nitish Kumar Reddy - I backed him for the first Test purely based on what he did in Australia. It's an unpopular choice, because when he comes in, the balance does get affected a bit. He won't quite bowl like a fourth seamer, so India need to take a hard call: even in English conditions, they must go with quality bowlers."

Manjrekar emphasized the importance of selecting the best bowlers regardless of the conditions, especially with the absence of key players like Mohammed Shami. "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."

He also pointed out the increasing suitability of English conditions for spin bowling due 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."

Shardul Thakur under pressure to retain his place in the team.

Manjrekar drew a comparison to the past, recalling a time when India consistently played three spinners, regardless of the location. "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 addressed the performance of Ravindra Jadeja, stating, "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 expressed disappointment in Jadeja's tactical awareness, particularly his delayed use of the rough patches against Ben Duckett. "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. When you're dealing with experienced bowlers and seasoned batters, you expect a higher level of tactical awareness. 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."