“Akash Deep just was too eager” - Former India batter’s blunt criticism after Day 1 of ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar opined that Indian seamer Akash Deep was trying too hard and straying away from the basics on Day 1 of the third Test against England at Lord's. The right-arm pacer, fresh off a ten-wicket haul, finished wicketless with figures of 0-75, and was the most expensive bowler by a fair margin.

Akash Deep was the pick of the Indian seamers in the second innings of the second Test on a flat Edgbaston wicket. He toiled hard to claim six wickets and seal India's 336-run win to level the series. However, he struggled to hit the right areas, and find control in his first-ever outing at the 'Home of Cricket'.

The pacer was assigned to bowl with the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah, and although the England openers were tested, it did not lead to a breakthrough.

Sanjay Manjrekar remarked that Akash Deep was looking for a wicket with each ball, instead of prioritising control.

"I think Akash Deep just was too eager, a common mistake that bowlers make. He got 10 wickets in the last match, then bowling first, where he thought there would be some movement and there was an attempt to get a wicket every ball. What he then lost in the process was control and simplicity, which was his biggest weapon, and the reason for his success in the last Test," Manjrekar said on ESPN Cricinfo.

Akash Deep was also handed the second new ball during the closing stages of play on Day 1. He bowled a couple of overs, including the final over before stumps, conceding six runs without any wickets.

"I am upgrading him to chief collector" - Sanjay Manjrekar compares Joe Root to Sachin Tendulkar after Day 1 heroics in Lord's Test against India

England ace batter Joe Root's solidity was the foundation for the team on Day 1 as they had to maneuver on a sluggish wicket after opting to bat first. After a quiet start to the series, which included a fifty in four innings, the right-handed batter made the most of his splendid record against India and at Lord's to remain unbeaten at the end of Day 1.

Manjrekar revealed that he has changed Joe Root's nickname based on his innate ability to find runs precisely without relying on boundaries, and frustrating the opposition in the process.

"I called him (Root) collector, now I am upgrading him to chief collector. If you remember Tendulkar in his last few years of his career. When he started batting he was not a collector, he was a dominator, we used to call him Master Blaster. After that he matured, became a wise guy, and started collecting runs. This is what great players do, once they get in, and Root knew that there was not going to be that kind of a Bumrah threat on this pitch, he started collecting runs," Manjrekar said.

Manjrekar predicted that England are in line for a big first innings score irrespective of how Joe Root fares on Day 2.

"Jamie Smith coming into bat, Chris Woakes will bat better on this pitch, so you cannot rule out a big score, whether Joe Root is in or out. India will be expected to get another big score with the kind of confidence that they have. The way these two teams are playing, it's like a typical tennis match," he concluded.

England ended Day 1 on 251-4 after 83 overs of play. Joe Root is stranded on 99 off 191 deliveries, following his third slowest fifty in the Bazball era.