ENG vs IND 2025: 'We’ve seen enough of Prasidh Krishna' - Sanjay Manjrekar urges India to hand debut to Arshdeep Singh in Oval Test

Sanjay Manjrekar urged the Indian team management to give Arshdeep Singh his red-ball debut in the fifth Test against England at The Oval in London, starting on Thursday, July 31, ahead of Prasidh Krishna.

Krishna played the first couple of Test matches in the five-match series against England, but failed to make an impact. He bagged six wickets at an average of 55.17 and an economy rate of 5.34. On the other hand, Arshdeep has been with the side since the start of the tour, but hasn't been able to get his maiden Test cap. He was reportedly in line to play the fourth Test, but an injury to his hand ruled him out.

Manjrekar said that India should invest in Arshdeep, who is three years younger than Krishna, and can be a long-term option for the bowling lineup.

“When it comes to the close call between Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep, I’d like to go with Arshdeep. We’ve seen enough of Prasidh Krishna… Invest in somebody who might give you long-term returns, and that’s where I’d like to go with Arshdeep," Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.

While Manjrekar refused to be too critical of the under-fire Anshul Kamboj, who debuted in the fourth Test, the cricketer-turned-expert said that he might have to wait for a while before he gets another game in India colours.

“Anshul Kamboj, it’s a little too harsh, but only, you know, I don’t see him playing the [his] second Test only because of how he looked rather than his returns," he added.

Sanjay Manjrekar bats for Kuldeep Yadav's inclusion

Manjrekar joined several experts and fans in batting for the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav. The left-arm wrist spinner hasn't been able to break into the playing XI on the tour so far. However, Manjrekar believes that Kuldeep's addition to the side could make a difference.

“India will have to start trusting their batting lineup despite Rishabh Pant not being a part of it, and Kuldeep Yadav will have to come back. There have been so many moments in this series where you imagine Kuldeep Yadav being part of the Indian bowling attack, and we’ve talked about the moments where India could make a difference and win a game overseas, and that’s where Kuldeep Yadav would’ve been really handy. So, he comes in and Shardul Thakur sits out… For me, it’s a no-brainer," Manjrekar stated.

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Manjrekar also expressed his concerns regarding Akash Deep's fitness and consistency. The Bengal seamer took 10 wickets in the second Test, but failed to replicate the performance in the third. He missed the fourth Test due to an injury.

“Akash Deep, even if he plays, it will be a question mark whether he’ll be able to replicate what he did earlier in this series. So, I would think Akash Deep, even if he’s 80-90% fit, or how much of in his bowling how much potency he’ll carry because we’ve seen he puts in one good performance and in the very next match the potency is not the same but you have no choice but to play Akash Deep," Manjrekar said.