Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar showered praise on India’s bowling after they won the fifth Test match against England at Dharamsala by an innings and 64 runs on Saturday to clinch the series by 4-1. After losing the first Test match at Hyderabad, India bounced back in style to win the remaining four Test matches.
India’s bowling was right on the money as the bowlers came up with a collective effort. While Kuldeep Yadav was sensational in the first innings of the fifth Test, Ravichandran Ashwin got the job done in the second essay. Yadav registered figures of 5-72 in the first innings whereas Ashwin bagged a total of nine wickets in the match.
Ashwin took a total of 26 wickets in the five-match Test series while Kuldeep picked up 19 wickets in four Test matches. Furthermore, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja bagged 19 wickets apiece in the series after playing four Test matches.
India played on a rank turner in the first Test but from there on, their bowlers outbowled the opposition on flat tracks in the rest of the series. England could only manage 218 and 195 in the last Test match despite pitch being good for batting.
Sanjay Manjrekar told ESPN Cricinfo, “The big takeaway for me looking at Indian cricket in the long-term point of view is India’s bowling. The arrival of Kuldeep Yadav, and Akash Deep in that last Test match. Now, when you look at the England batting failure and relentless pressure, when you have five bowlers of the likes of Bumrah, Akash Deep in the last Test, Siraj here, and then three spinners, where Kuldeep Yadav has made such rapid strides, there’s just no getaway for a team that has been struggling with consistent form.”
Meanwhile, India’s young stars such as Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, and Shubman Gill glittered in the series. However, Manjrekar wants these youngsters to prove their mettle while playing away in tough overseas conditions.
“For me, it is still about these batters, having shown the potential to get big runs at the Test level, very keen to play at the Test level, which is a great sign. Sarfaraz as well, as Dhruv Jurel, has some great foundation, so that’s an exciting talent out there. But let’s wait a little longer. Let these guys play in Australia, England, and other places, and then we’ll see who are the long-term batters that India will rely on who will take the baton from the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Cheteshwar Pujara.”
Indian players will be next seen in action in the IPL.
