India vs England: Pacer Under Fire - Cricket Legend Urges Thakur's Axe for Second Test

India vs. England: Former Cricketer Calls for Pacer's Removal After Test Defeat

Following India's defeat to England in the first Test, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar is advocating for strategic changes to the bowling lineup. He suggests bringing in left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav to replace Shardul Thakur. This adjustment aims to address the bowling shortcomings exposed during England's successful chase of 371 runs.

Ravindra Jadeja was criticized for his performance vs England in the first Test (Image by George Wood/Getty Images)

While Jasprit Bumrah delivered a notable performance with a five-wicket haul in the first innings, the other pace bowlers – 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. Manjrekar added, "Pick your best bowlers, irrespective of the conditions. You don't have the luxury of someone like Mohammed Shami available… so I'd go one seamer short and bring Kuldeep into the XI. He has to play."

Shardul Thakur vs England at Headingley on June 24 (Image by George Wood/Getty Images)

Manjrekar highlighted the evolving nature of English conditions, noting that drier summers are increasingly conducive to spin bowling. He stated, "English summers these days are largely dry… and that does open the door for spin. In a way, it's time to reintroduce the idea of India playing spin in England."

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."

Expectations from Jadeja

Manjrekar also addressed the performance of Ravindra Jadeja, stating, "It's not fair to be overly critical of younger players like Prasidh Krishna... But I am going to be critical of Ravindra Jadeja. This was a final-day pitch with rough patches for him to exploit... we have to expect more from someone of his experience." He felt Jadeja could have utilized the rough patches more effectively, particularly against Ben Duckett. "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."