In Short
- Manjrekar says Reddy’s injury won’t unsettle India’s team balance
- Manjrekar calls for a specialist batter to strengthen India’s fragile middle order
- Manjrekar backed uncapped pacer Anshul Kamboj to debut in Manchester
Former Indian cricketer and seasoned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar believes that the absence of young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy in the upcoming fourth Test against England won’t create much imbalance in the Indian team. The match is set to get underway on Wednesday, July 23, at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Nitish, who impressed in the third Test with a solid all-round performance, scoring 43 runs and claiming three wickets, has been ruled out of the remainder of the series due to a knee injury. While his contributions were noteworthy, Manjrekar is confident that India can manage without him and even sees the injury as an opportunity to strengthen the batting order.
Speaking on ESPN Cricinfo, Manjrekar said, “I do not think it will create much imbalance or the Indian team will suddenly become weak because Nitish Kumar Reddy helped as a bowler in the last match but Akash Deep was off colour. I do not think Nitish not being there will create much imbalance.”
The former batter pointed to India’s batting struggles during the Lord’s Test, particularly in the second innings where they fell short in the chase, as a reason to rethink the team composition.
“Maybe India should replace him with a pure batter because we have seen collapses in the previous game, and we were slightly short of batting in that run-chase,” Manjrekar suggested.
‘Bringing Prasidh back doesn’t make sense’
India, currently battling multiple injury concerns, are also without pacers Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh for the Manchester Test. Both fast bowlers have been ruled out, leaving the team to consider fresh options. Amongst those in the fray is uncapped pacer Anshul Kamboj, who was recently drafted into the squad and could be handed a Test debut.
Manjrekar is in favour of giving the 24-year-old a shot. Anshul had an impressive domestic run, picking up 34 wickets in just six matches in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy at an average of 13.79. Overall, he has taken 79 wickets from 24 first-class games, maintaining a healthy average of 22.88.
While another option would be Prasidh Krishna, who featured in the first two Tests, Manjrekar is cautious about recalling a bowler who was recently dropped for lack of form.
“There might be cloudy conditions at Old Trafford. Then you need simple bowlers there. Maybe Prasidh Krishna is better suited if there is bounce on the pitch and he is slightly experienced as well. But if he is out of the team based on his form, then bringing him back on the same form does not make sense,” he said.
Instead, the commentator backs a pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Anshul Kamboj to lead India’s bowling attack in conditions that could offer some movement.
While India aim to bounce back in the crucial fourth Test, Manjrekar’s insights reflect the strategic rethinking required amid a growing injury list.
