NEW DELHI: Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has questioned Shubman Gill’s captaincy instincts, calling his decision to delay Washington Sundar’s introduction into the attack on Day 3 of the fourth Test in Manchester “a major red flag.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!England, resuming from 225/2, ended the day at a formidable 544/7, taking a 186-run lead and putting India on the back foot. Much of the scrutiny, however, fell on Gill’s choice to wait until the 69th over to bring on off-spinner Sundar — despite the pitch showing signs of turn and India’s pacers struggling to make breakthroughs.
Sundar made an immediate impact once introduced, removing Ollie Pope for 71 and then dismissing Harry Brook for just 3 runs. The late double-strike provided India a brief window back into the game, but many questioned why the off-spinner wasn’t used earlier — especially after taking 4/22 in the second innings at Lord’s.
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Should Washington Sundar have been introduced earlier in the match?
Speaking on Star Sports, Manjrekar didn’t mince his words: “So him [Gill] not bowling Washington Sundar… and there’s no plausible reason for him to not bowl. I see this as a major red flag with Shubman Gill’s, you know, trait as a captain.”Manjrekar further criticised Gill’s preference for sticking with underperforming pacers on a track that clearly offered turn, noting it showed a lack of tactical awareness.Former England pacer Stuart Broad echoed Manjrekar’s sentiments.“Everybody’s been saying, where’s Washington Sundar? Why are we not seeing him? They’re 300-odd for two and we haven’t seen the off-spinner who got 4 for 22 in the last innings at Lord’s,” Broad remarked on the broadcast.India now face a daunting task on Day 4, with England already firmly in command and Joe Root’s sparkling 150 ensuring the hosts are on track for a series-clinching win.
