Washington Sundar now a proper all-rounder. Ravindra Jadeja no longer…: Case for Kuldeep Yadav's Oval entry gains steam
Speaking to JioStar after India drew the fourth Test on Sunday, Manjrekar noted that Washington Sundar's performance at Manchester has positioned him as the preferred spin-bowling all-rounder in the XI. While Sundar has delivered with both bat and ball, Jadeja has increasingly looked like a batting all-rounder due to his limited bowling impact on this tour.
With that shift in balance, Manjrekar believes head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill could consider bringing Kuldeep into the playing XI for the final Test, starting Thursday at The Oval.
'Now, you've got to look at Sundar as a proper all-rounder. You can increasingly see Jadeja becoming a batting all-rounder because his bowling hasn't quite contributed as much. Washi's got wickets as well. So here's an off-spinner where you can play as a pure spinner. And now India will not be thinking of an extra batter. Finally, they'll be thinking of maybe Kuldeep for the next Test. And that is what this partnership has done. Even without Pant, they might still stick with these two, you know, to help them with their batting,' he said.
In the four matches Jadeja played so far on the tour, he has picked up seven wickets at 67.71, while scoring 454 runs, comprising four fifties and a ton. Sundar, on the other hand, who has one less appearance, picked up as many wickets at 35.85, and scored 205 runs as a lower-order batter, comprising a maiden Test century.
The only expected change in India's batting line-up for the Oval Test is Dhruv Jurel replacing the injured Rishabh Pant, who has been ruled out with a fractured toe. In the bowling department, Kuldeep's inclusion would likely require India to drop a fast bowler. While head coach Gautam Gambhir may be reluctant to alter the combination with the series on the line, Kuldeep's entry could hinge on the fitness of the pace unit. Jasprit Bumrah may miss the decider due to an injury sustained in Manchester. If so, Akash Deep is the frontrunner to replace him—provided he has recovered from the groin niggle picked up at Lord's. That leaves Prasidh Krishna as the only other pace option currently available.
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One was I had a pretty good action, short delivery strides, so I wasn't putting the stress on my body that other bowlers would. So I had a good action. Good genetics also helped. My bone density is really high, so that probably held me in good stead as well. And then work ethic off the field. Courtney Walsh played 21 years straight. Bowling, 21 years straight! Absolutely unbelievable. So, you've got to know yourself well and know what you need to do. But 99.9 per cent of fast bowlers need an off-season to get strong again, to get them through the next season,' the 55-year-old who now coaches at MRF Pace Foundation said. As McGrath was listing out the work he put in behind the scenes, Kevin Chevell, who trained the Australian pacer through his career and is now part of the foundation, weighed in with his thoughts. 'Ideally, you need 8 weeks. With Glenn, after the session when he joined the team, I knew I wouldn't be seeing him for the next 15-18 months. You need to give the body the break it deserves. It is what the likes of Starc do it,' Chevell said. The pitches in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy have been batting-friendly with bowlers from both sides having to toil hard for wickets. But each of the four Tests have gone into the final session and McGrath said he didn't have any issues with the pitches that are used for Bazball. 'It's been quite high scoring, which is a little unusual in English conditions with the Duke cricket ball. So it hasn't been a one-sided affair. It's been good, solid test cricket. It's been enjoyable. It's close. Obviously, they want the game to last as long as possible. I don't mind if the pitches are a little flat, as long as there's got to be something in it for the bowler. And if the game's coming right down the wire on the fifth day, then it's perfect, isn't it?' he added.
