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Key Points

Sanjay Manjrekar believes Shubman Gill is facing an uphill battle as India's new captain in England. Injuries to key players like Akash Deep have weakened India's bowling attack. The team's reliance on pace over spin has backfired, with seamers struggling for wickets. England now holds a commanding position, eyeing a series-clinching victory.

Key Points: Manjrekar Says Shubman Gill Struggles as New Captain in England Tests

  • Manjrekar criticizes India's bowling imbalance with seamers taking just 3 wickets in 83 overs
  • Gill faces immense pressure as first-time captain in tough English conditions
  • Injuries to Akash Deep and Nitish Reddy disrupt India's team balance
  • Mohammed Siraj stands out as the lone bright spot in India's bowling attack
3 min read

Gill has been thrown into deep end as captain: Manjrekar decodes India's shambolic outing in Manchester

Sanjay Manjrekar analyzes India's poor performance in Manchester, highlighting Shubman Gill's captaincy challenges and bowling woes.

"Shubman Gill is on his first trip to England as a batter and has also been thrown into the deep end as captain, carrying immense responsibility. – Sanjay Manjrekar"

New Delhi, July 26

Former cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar feels Shubman Gill, who is carrying "immense responsibility" on his shoulders, has been thrown into the deep end during his first captaincy assignment in England.

India arrived in England without its batting bigwigs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, to orchestrate an unprecedented series win. The challenge was immense, considering India has returned winless in every single tour since 2007.

From Leeds to London, India fought their hearts out but surrendered to a 2-1 trail in the five-match series. In the fourth Test, the story has been a complete contrast to the past three contests. India has appeared out of its depth as England pulls the strings to control the flow of the game.

Manjrekar decoded the various reasons behind India's fall from grace at Old Trafford in Manchester. With injuries to Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy, India was robbed of its balanced final XI. India had to fly in Anshul Kamboj and straightaway threw him into the XI, and since then, he has struggled to meet the demands of Test cricket.

"Shubman Gill is on his first trip to England as a batter and has also been thrown into the deep end as captain, carrying immense responsibility. He fought well across the first three Tests, but this game feels slightly beyond India, considering the challenges and resources. India's bowling was hampered by Akash Deep's unavailability -- he picked up 10 wickets in the last Test but missed out due to injury. Anshul Kamboj came in, but struggled to rise to the demands of Test cricket," Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.

Manjrejkar reiterated his stance that spinners are often an afterthought for the Indian team. The pace bowling quartet Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kamboj and Shardul Thakur have combined to bowl 83 overs and returned with three wickets. On the other hand, the ball-tweaking duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar scalped four wickets in 52 overs.

"One area India could've improved is their bowling combination, seamers bowled nearly 82 overs for just three wickets, while spin got four wickets in just 52 overs. That's something they'll need to reassess. The standout, though, was Mohammed Siraj -- it was great to see him bowl with such heart right till the end," he added.

England ended the third day on a high with 544/7 on the board in reply to India's 387, enjoying a healthy lead of 186 runs. With skipper Ben Stokes unbeaten on the crease, he will look to pile up as many as he can to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priyanka N
Disappointed but not surprised. We keep making the same mistakes in overseas tours. Why are we not grooming young captains properly? Gill is talented but captaincy is different. Also, our spin department is being wasted - Jadeja could have bowled more!
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Aryan P
Siraj was the only silver lining in this match! Bowled his heart out despite the tough conditions. But seriously, when will we learn to prepare proper backup players? Flying in Kamboj directly into playing XI is not how Test cricket works 😤
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Neha E
As a cricket lover, this is painful to watch. We dominate at home but falter abroad. Gill needs time to grow - he's shown promise. But the management must take responsibility for poor planning. Where's our famous bench strength when we need it?
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Sarah B
Watching from Australia - India's bowling resources seem stretched too thin. The injuries have really hurt them. But credit to England for capitalizing on the situation. Test cricket needs strong Indian performances to stay relevant globally!
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Vikram M
The real issue is our domestic cricket structure. We produce flat-track bullies but not players ready for overseas challenges. Gill is just 24 - give him time. The system needs fixing, not just blaming individuals. #LongTermThinking

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