'Can't win Tests with part-time bowlers' - Dilip Vengsarkar wants Nitish Kumar Reddy to be dropped for fourth Test

India lost the third Test of the five-match series against England by a narrow margin of 22 runs, as the tourists leaked away a few runs during the third innings at the Lord's. One of the reasons behind this was inability to maintain pressure on the opposition, and letting them bat freely, which helped the Ben Stokes-led side to post a small, yet a defendable target of 193 on the board.

India's batting failed miserably in the fourth innings to say the least, as no one apart from Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul looked comfortable enough in the middle. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy did provide some assistance, but could not hang around enough. Despite him taking three important wickets in the match, his performances with the bat have come under scrutiny, and legendary Dilip Vengsarkar has demanded his exclusion from the next game.

Instead, the former cricketer has opined that the Indian team should go with someone like Arshdeep Singh, who provides as good prowess with the ball as anyone. Vengsarkar further questioned the place of Washington Sundar, and said, only specialist bowlers should be picked, where someone like left-arm orthodox spinner Kuldeep Yadav fit his bills.

“I would drop Nitish Kumar Reddy and perhaps one more player to make room for Arshdeep [Singh]. I think Siraj and Bumrah should keep their places, but Reddy could make way. Kuldeep Yadav could also replace someone like Washington Sundar. You need five bowlers in a Test match to win it. If your six batters can’t put up a good total, the bowlers need to take responsibility. You can’t win a Test match with part-time bowlers,” Vengsarkar said via RevSportz.

“I would pick Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav. Arshdeep is a good left-arm bowler who can move the ball in the air and off the wicket, which is crucial in English conditions. He can also reverse swing the ball, which is important. I have seen him bowl,” Vengsarkar, who played 116 Tests for India, added.

Karun Nair deserves one more chance: Vengsarkar

The 69-year-old further made a bold opinion on retaining comeback man Karun Nair for the upcoming encounter, as he has shown promise, but failed to convert his starts into big scores that eventually help the team's cause. Vengsarkar has weighed in on giving another opportunity for the triple centurion to prove himself once again, and has also hoped for a century from him in the next game.

“Karun Nair is a good player. He has shown promise but needs to convert those 30s and 40s into big scores. He’s an experienced player and knows what he has to do. I’d give him one more Test match to prove himself. He’s capable of scoring a hundred, and I hope he does in the next match,” Vengsarkar said.

The next match is slated to be held at the Old Trafford in Manchester, and at least a couple of changes are expected in the Shubman Gill-led side. The match is set to begin on July 23, and if India lose this game, they will have to walk off with a series loss, which would not help their cause for a spot in the World Test Championship final in 2027.