India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill have been served a strong reminder by Sanjay Manjrekar ahead of the second Test against England. The former cricketer has questioned Mohammed Siraj’s current red-ball form and suggested that it may be time to drop the senior pacer for Prasidh Krishna, based on recent performances.
In the first Test at Headingley, Siraj managed just two wickets in the first innings and went wicketless in the second. Though he bowled a sharp spell to trouble Zak Crawley and nearly dismissed Ben Duckett on 97, the dropped catch by Yashasvi Jaiswal meant he remained without impact in the second innings.
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Manjrekar was firm in his assessment of Siraj’s form.
“This is where you’ve got to take some hard calls. It’s easier for me because Siraj is your senior bowler. He had one good spell at Headingley and has a decent track record, but you’ve got to look at the current reality,” Manjrekar said.
Siraj has taken only 28 wickets in his last 10 Tests, and his lack of consistency has added more pressure on Jasprit Bumrah. Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna, although a bit expensive, managed five wickets in the first Test and looked more threatening towards the end of the match.
“I thought towards the end of the Test match, Prasidh Krishna looked more like a go-to bowler for Shubman Gill to get wickets. So, based on that, I might go with Prasidh Krishna. It will be a hard call, but based on current form and finding a way to make him more economical, it’s worth considering,” he added.
Drop a pacer, play Kuldeep Yadav
Manjrekar didn’t stop at just the pacers. He also pushed for a change in India’s team combination, suggesting that one of the seamers be dropped in favour of a frontline spinner.
“Not play seamers just because you are in a country where seam works. So, I would drop a seamer and get Kuldeep Yadav in and Nitish Reddy in place of Shardul Thakur,” he said.
With the Edgbaston Test set to begin soon, these comments have sparked debate around India’s team strategy. The pressure is now on the think tank to make bold decisions that balance experience, form, and tactical needs to bounce back in the series.
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