'I can't see Bumrah, Rahul, Gambhir agreeing with Shubman Gill': India captain faces fresh fire on bizarre decision

Shubman Gill's reluctance to introduce Washington Sundar into the attack in Manchester Test faced intense scrutiny.

England stamped their authority on Day 3 of the Manchester Test with a commanding 544/7, building a 186-run lead that puts them within touching distance of sealing the five-match series. At the heart of their dominance was Joe Root’s majestic 150, a knock that not only took the game further away from India but also lifted him past Ricky Ponting to second in the list of all-time Test run scorers.

India's captain Shubman Gill (C) and teammates leave the pitch at the end of day three of the fourth Test (AFP)

But while England celebrated a landmark-filled day, India found themselves gripped by a tactical mess, none more baffling than the non-utilisation of Washington Sundar.

After a brilliant four-fer in the Lord's Test, Sundar didn’t bowl a single over across three sessions in Manchester, even as Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Root and Ben Stokes dictated terms with little resistance. India’s bowling combination, already without a frontline spinner apart from Ravindra Jadeja, looked woefully incomplete. The decision not to use Sundar, who was picked over Kuldeep Yadav and has a track record of containing runs, raised eyebrows, particularly on a pitch that began to offer grip and variable bounce as the day progressed.

The matter snowballed into a key talking point post-stumps, when former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar posed hard questions on JioHotstar’s broadcast.

“Can we assume that these decisions were taken solely by Shubman Gill? At this stage of his career, you'd expect him to get some inputs… or considering he has done so well as a batter, everybody has withdrawn, saying ‘this guy is getting into the zone’," Manjrekar said.

"Because I can't see everyone agreeing to this kind of move. Bumrah, KL Rahul, or a Gambhir thinking Washi should not be bowled… come what may,” said Manjrekar further, mincing no words.

The selection of Sundar in itself had come under scrutiny after Gill's reluctance to introduce him to the attack, with former players surprised at the call to bring in an all-rounder without giving him a role in the match. While Gill has shown tactical clarity in patches, the inexperience of leading in high-pressure situations may finally be showing.

A challenging day for India ahead

Meanwhile, England continued to press forward. Root was finally stumped by Jadeja, but the damage had long been done. Stokes, who retired hurt on 66 with cramps, returned late in the day to remain unbeaten on 77 alongside Liam Dawson.

With two days left and India staring at a massive deficit, it will take a monumental turnaround and sharper decision-making on Gill's part to keep the series alive.