"Jadeja's ineffectiveness is going to create problems" - Former India batter raises concerns over visitors' spin attack for ENG vs IND 2025 series

Sanjay Manjrekar believes left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja's recent record against England could be a casue of concern of Team India ahead of the upcoming five-match Test series. He opined that it would be a huge issue for the visitors if the veteran all-rounder fails to make a significant impact with the ball.

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that the English batters did a fine job against Jadeja when England toured India in 2024. Suggesting that the touring side might need some support in the spin department for the Test series opener in Leeds, Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo (from 26:09):

"Jadeja's ineffectiveness is going to create problems. Ineffectiveness against the English batters, in the way they play him and played him in India."

Jadeja claimed 19 wickets across eight innings in the five-match home Test series against England last year. On the batting front, he amassed 232 runs from six innings at an average of 38.66.

Manjrekar reckoned that having Kuldeep Yadav alongside Jadeja in the playing XI could strengthen the spin attack. He added:

"So, you might just feel that you need some more spin support, but it's unimaginable, in England, first Test match, to go with Kuldeep Yadav. But Kuldeep Yadav is such a tempting option, and that is where I think with Gautam Gambhir, somebody who'll not go by the book, who knows India might want to have both Jadeja and Kuldeep in their team."

Jadeja has picked up 27 wickets from 21 innings on English soil in Test cricket, including two five-wicket hauls. Kuldeep, on the other hand, has played just one Test in England. He remained wicketless in the 2018 Lord's Test against England.

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"They didn't want to give the captaincy to Jasprit Bumrah" - Steve Harmison on ace speedster missing out on becoming India's red-ball leader

In the same video, former England pacer Steve Harmison remarked that the Indian team management used workload management as an excuse to sideline Jasprit Bumrah from the Test captaincy race.

Bumrah appeared to be among the frontrunners for the leadership post after Rohit Sharma's Test retirement, having led India's Test team in the past. However, Shubman Gill was handed the reins and Rishabh Pant was named his deputy.

Commenting on Bumrah's captaincy snub, Harmison said (from 19:37):

"It just seems as if they didn't want to give the captaincy to Jasprit Bumrah, so we'll tell the world that he's going to play three Test matches. That's an easier sort of let-off than saying we don't really want him to captain because he is a bowler, we want Shubman Gill to do it."

Meanwhile, the Test series opener of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is set to be played at Headingley, Leeds, from June 20 to 24.