“I would drop him” - Ex-Indian cricketer wants a few changes in the Indian XI for Manchester Test

Former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar has suggested that the Indian team management drop the all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy to bring in Arshdeep Singh, who is yet to make it to the XI on the England tour.

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Moreover, Vengsarkar also stated that Kuldeep Yadav can replace someone like Washington Sundar so that the Indian bowling attack will have the capacity to scalp 20 wickets to win the Test match, adding that winning the longest format of the game with part-timers isn’t an easy task.

"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 told RevSportz.

"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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Furthermore, he also opined his views on the No.3 batter Karun Nair getting the starts, but not being able to convert them into bigger knocks. Nair, who made his comeback after eight years, is yet to score a half-century in the ongoing five-match series.

"Karun Nair is a good player. He has shown promise but needs to convert those 30s and 40s into big scores. He’s an experienced player and knows what he has to do. I’d give him one more Test match to prove himself. He’s capable of scoring a hundred, and I hope he does in the next match," Vengsarkar concluded.

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