“I believe he has…’ - Sanjay Bangar breaks silence on India's pace selection ahead of 4th Test vs ENG

While the confusion swirls around the Indian dressing room between two pace bowlers for the 4th Test match, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar made his choice clear.

Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur and Anshul Kamboj practicing (Image Credit: PTI)

India are set to face England in the fourth Test match at Old Trafford, Manchester, on July 23. While the Three Lions have already announced their playing XI for the game, the Men in Blue are yet to do so. This delay comes after Anshul Kamboj was added to the squad, in place of Akash Deep. While the confusion swirls around the dressing room, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar made his choice clear. With one spot up for grabs, Prasidh Krishna and Anshul Kamboj are both in contention.

According to Bangar, Shubman Gill and management should go ahead with Prasidh Krishna, rather than Kamboj, because the Manchester pitch will offer more bounce and seam than the Lord’s did. Krishna has experience and the variations needed for the match, which could benefit the team.

“It is going to be a tough call for Shubman and Gautam Gambhir to pick between Prasidh and Anshul. That’s probably the reason they’ve delayed the decision right up to the start of the Test match. I believe Prasidh has done enough, and in the next Test match, you need a bowler who can extract bounce from that Manchester track. I feel Prasidh is slightly ahead of Anshul for this particular Test," Bangar, a JioHotstar expert, said on ‘Follow The Blues’.

The Karnataka pacer has been quite expensive in the first two Tests, but he has tackled the batters in crunch situations. But his pace and bounce will trouble the opponent batters, which is exactly what India need right now. In two matches, he has taken six wickets at an average of 55.17. While the stats seem fine, the experience might come in handy. With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, Krishna’s pace adds another dimension, which will help India get those breakthroughs.

“He challenges the batters in a different way — and let’s not forget, he has picked up important wickets as well. Yes, he has been expensive, but where there is pace, there is bounce — both in this Test match and the next. So it would be good if Prasidh plays back-to-back games,” added Bangar.

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