Team India's move of sending Shardul Thakur ahead of Washington Sundar on the batting order for the Manchester Test against England has come under massive scrutiny. Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik stated that it didn't make sense to send Sundar after Shardul as the former had steadied the Men in Blue's innings previously in the series.
The 25-year-old certainly knows how to frustrate the opposing bowlers and can also provide stability to the side when they need it the most. Not only this, Sundar had recorded exceptional figures of 4/22 in England's second innings of the Lord's Test and had played a major role in bundling them out for just 192 runs. While on the other hand, Shardul did play in the first Test, but wasn't able to make a significant impact with either the bat or the ball.
"I was extremely surprised. Washington has shown real composure with the bat in this series and before. He's someone who thrives with recognised batters around him. With Pant gone and Sai Sudharsan just dismissed, it was the perfect moment for Sundar to come in and steady things," Karthik said on air.
"He's someone who builds an innings. He plays with intent, yes, but with a certain understanding of tempo when batting with top-order players. He's not quite the same when batting with the tail. So, to not send him in with about 40 minutes of play left, and the second new ball looming, is a strange one," he added.
Shastri also wasn't a fan of the move
Another person who wasn't satisfied with the team management sending Shardul ahead of Sundar was former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri. He pointed out how Shardul had played multiple loose shots during the first Test at Headingley which saw him loose his wickets for cheap in both the innings. He further stated that unlike Shardul, Sundar had remained composed and settled whenever he had stepped out to bat in the series.
"He played in the first Test match, was dismissed pretty cheaply, a couple of loose shots. He got out to a couple of loose shots in the first Test. If anything, that should've prompted the think tank to send someone more settled in-like Washington," Shastri stated.
Meanwhile, India finished the first day of Manchester Test on 264/4 with Shardul and Ravindra Jadeja both being unbeaten on 19. The Men in Blue looked to be in a strong position at one stage thanks to fifties from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan. However, the dismissals of both combined with a serious injury to Rishabh Pant saw them wrap up the day on a not so positive note. It remains to be seen how far will the visitors manage to take their total on the second day at Old Trafford.