Former Indian skipper Dilip Vengsarkar has suggested two possible changes in the Indian playing XI for the fourth Test in Manchester. The Test match starts from July 23, with the visitors trailing 2-1 in the series.
He backed Arshdeep Singh to be selected for the next Test in place of Nitish Kumar Reddy and also Kuldeep Yadav in place of Washington Sundar.
Arshdeep Singh is waiting for his Test debut. There were lot of talks about him playing the second Test at Edgbaston, but India went ahead with Prasidh Krishna along with Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj for the Edgbaston Test.
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Would Pick Arshdeep And Kuldeep - Dilip Vengsarkar
There were also reports of Kuldeep Yadav playing the second and third Tests. However, Gautam Gambhir preferred to play the same XI for the Lord's Test after India won the second Test at Edgbaston. Jasprit Bumrah was the only change as he replaced Prasidh in the XI.
Now, with India having lost the Third Test, Vengsarkar feels that India should go into the Test match with a more potent bowling attack.
"I would drop Nitish Reddy and perhaps one more player to make room for Arshdeep. I think Siraj and Bumrah should keep their places, but Reddy could make way. Kuldeep Yadav could also replace someone like Washington Sundar. You need five bowlers in a Test match to win it. If your six batters can’t put up a good total, the bowlers need to take responsibility. You can’t win a Test match with part-time bowlers," Vengsarkar said in an interview with RevSportz.
The former Indian skipper said that he would back Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav to be included for the fourth Test and gave his reasons as well.
"I would pick Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav. Arshdeep is a good left-arm bowler who can move the ball in the air and off the wicket, which is crucial in English conditions. He can also reverse swing the ball, which is important. I have seen him bowl," he added.
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India Winless In Manchester
Team India are yet to win a Test match at Old Trafford in Manchester. They have lost four games and drawn five at the venue. One of the losses was an innings defeat in their 2014 tour to England.
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