Sanjay Manjrekar Advocates for Sai Sudharsan at No. 3 in Upcoming Test
Manjrekar's Call for Sudharsan's Inclusion
Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed his belief that Sai Sudharsan should be positioned at No. 3 for the upcoming third Test between India and England, part of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, set to commence on Thursday, July 10, at Lord's Cricket Ground in London.
Sudharsan made his Test debut in the series opener at Headingley, but it was not a memorable start for him, as he scored 0 and 30 while batting at No. 3. Meanwhile, Karun Nair, returning to the Indian Test squad after an eight-year hiatus, also struggled at No. 6, recording scores of 0 and 20.
In the second Test at Edgbaston, Sudharsan was left out, and Nair moved up to No. 3, where he managed scores of 31 and 26. Manjrekar criticized the decision to drop Sudharsan after just one match.
Manjrekar's Insights on ESPN Cricinfo
"There were some very interesting selections made in the last game which I didn't agree with. In the end, a win can put a cover on those decisions. I thought Sai Sudharsan, after just one match, to be left out considering he is a young player that we are looking at for the future. He played pretty okay in the second innings. I'd like to stick with him, but this team management is not afraid to chop and change depending on the vibe,"
Manjrekar further stated that Nair is not suited for the No. 3 position and urged the Indian team management to reinstate Sudharsan in the lineup for the match at the iconic venue.
"But I would like to see Sai Sudharsan at number three. Karun Nair is not a No. 3 player in my book. It is unfair to drop him after one Test if everyone is getting big hundreds. I think Sai deserves that opportunity as well," he added.
In a notable change, England has included Jofra Archer in their squad for the third Test, replacing Josh Tongue. This will mark Archer's return to Test cricket after a four-year hiatus. Manjrekar advised the Indian team to approach their batting with caution, highlighting that Shubman Gill's impressive performances in the Edgbaston Test masked several underlying issues.
"I'd like to see India being pragmatic and realistic about how good the team is. They've got to still be careful about their batting. Shubman Gill got these big hundreds and made sure that India could win the Test match. I'm just imagining him getting 103 and 104, and it would have been tough to win the Test. He has taken care of a lot of those issues. India need to make sure that the batting is in place. Perhaps a changed England attack will have more sharpness and potency," Sanjay Manjrekar reflected.