Manjrekar Questions Gambhir, Gill for Not Deploying Spin

Speaking on ‘Match Centre Live’ after the conclusion of the first session on Day 3 of the fourth Test, JioHotstar expert Sanjay Manjrekar commented on India’s morning session and bowling strategy:

“I think India started off well in the morning. Both Bumrah and Siraj bowled their hearts out, each had long spells, and there was some trouble for the English batters. There was variation in bounce, real purpose and intensity, and a little more discipline as well. But after that, what is coming through is India’s bowling depth—or rather the lack of it. Of course, the default setting today is that the pitch is very flat. There were some close calls with the reviews, but the talking point is India's reluctance to go to spin. I think the introduction of Washington Sundar just before lunch was a little rich from a team that has the kind of seam attack India currently boasts. You’ve got Anshul Kamboj—where the keeper is standing up to the stumps, which is not an encouraging sight for a debutant seam bowler—you’ve got Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, and then there’s Bumrah. If you had Wasim Akram bowling alongside Bumrah, or someone like Malcolm Marshall or Curtly Ambrose, I could understand a reluctance to turn to spin. So yes, well played to Root, well played Ollie Pope—but right now, a lot of fingers are being pointed at Gambhir and Gill for the obvious and controllable error of not deploying spin earlier.”

JioHotstar expert Jonathan Trott on England’s strong position:

“We spoke about laying the platform and building the foundations yesterday, and that’s exactly what England did with the speed at which they scored late on Day 2. It certainly put the Indian bowlers under pressure and on the back foot. Unfortunately for India, things didn’t go their way today. The deliveries that kept low weren’t on the stumps, and the ones that went in the air fell into gaps. But today, it was just class from Joe Root. Also, the fact that Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat knowing Day 2 and 3 would be the best time to bat—possibly keeping the weather in mind—was a smart call. India are really behind the eight ball here. They’ll have to play some outstanding cricket over the next eight sessions if they are to get anything out of this game and stay alive in the series.”

Joe Root surpassed both Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis to become the third-highest run-scorer in Test history. Reflecting on the moment, Sanjay Manjrekar praised the England batter's achievement and evolution:

“I liked the muted, almost subtle acknowledgement of the applause. The crowd was right on the money—they knew he had reached a very special milestone. When you look at the names he has overtaken, it’s just incredible. It’s like climbing Mount Everest. You’ve got the base camp, then the second, third, fourth camps—and Joe Root is firmly on that hike. And because he plays for England, a team that features in a lot of Test matches, I see him getting to the summit. Physically, he looks the part. He’s got the kind of technique that allows him to bat forever, and he doesn’t play too much T20 or even a lot of 50-over cricket. That works in his favour. It’s a tremendous achievement. He made his debut against India, if I recall correctly, in Nagpur. Was there any sign back then that this guy would go on to become the third-highest run-getter in Test history? Maybe not overtly. When we saw Tendulkar, we knew there was something special about him. With Joe Root, we saw a talented player who loved to score runs—but now look at what he has become. It’s just incredible.”

Catch Day 4 of the fourth Test of India’s tour of England, live tomorrow from 3:30 PM, on JioHotstar