Will India Play Kuldeep Yadav In Manchester? Siraj Answers: 'I Literally...'
Mohammed Siraj addressed a pre-match press conference in Manchester where he was asked about the team combination for the upcoming Test.
India are gearing up for the all-important fourth Test against England, set to begin on Wednesday at Old Trafford in Manchester. Trailing 1-2 in the five-match series, the visitors are desperate to bounce back and avoid yet another series defeat on English soil. However, their task has been made tougher by a string of injuries.
On Monday, the BCCI confirmed that all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of the tour after sustaining a knee injury during a gym session. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has been sidelined for the fourth Test due to a cut on his bowling arm. Fast bowler Akash Deep continues to nurse a groin niggle, and his availability remains uncertain.
To reinforce the pace attack, the team has called up uncapped Haryana pacer Anshul Kamboj as a backup. Despite the addition, India still face a selection conundrum as they search for the right balance in the bowling unit.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Mohammed Siraj addressed a pre-match press conference in Manchester. When asked about the team combination for the upcoming Test, Siraj remained tight-lipped, stating that he was unaware of the final decision.
The pacer was asked if the team is looking to bring in Kuldeep Yadav or would try the combination it tried in the first game in Leeds. In reply, Siraj said,
Siraj is the only Indian fast bowler to have played all three Tests so far in the series. If his form and fitness permit, he looks set to continue that streak and potentially feature in all five matches. The 31-year-old has shouldered a significant workload, bowling 109 overs so far — the most by any Indian pacer in the series.
By comparison, Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the second Test as part of workload management, has bowled 86.4 overs. Prasidh Krishna has delivered 62 overs in his two appearances, while Akash Deep has bowled 72.1 overs across two matches.
'Thank God, I have been fit and healthy so far. Yes, there is workload to be considered as per science, and if you go by the book, the number of overs I've bowled would be right there," said Siraj, who has claimed 13 wickets in the series, including a six-wicket haul at Edgbaston.
'Having said that, my mindset is to make the best use of the opportunity and win games for India," he concluded.
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First Published:
July 21, 2025, 21:15 IST
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