Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane has flagged a big concern for the side going into the final Test match of the series. Rahane’s comments come just a day after India’s heroic escape in Manchester, where they batted nearly 2 days to eke out a draw.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Rahane flagged what he thought to be a big concern with the Indian team. The batter said that, while the batting unit of the visiting side was fantastic, the bowling unit was yet to turn up as a group.

The Indian bowling attack has not been able to stem the flow of runs in this Test series. In the Manchester Test match, India leaked nearly 700 runs in the only innings that England batted in. The team would have lost the game if not for three sensational hundreds from Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, who batted with incredible grit in India’s final innings.

“The India team is playing well, and the batting unit has been fantastic. What concerns the Indian team is the bowling department. A couple of bowlers are bowling well, but they are not getting the support,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel.

It needs to be pointed out that India’s bowling reserves were depleted in Manchester due to injuries to Nitish Kumar Reddy and Akash Deep. The all-rounder had a good outing with the ball in the 3rd Test match in Lord’s, while Akash Deep was adjudged the player of the match in India’s win at Birmingham.

Team Selection Behind Bowling Woes?

One of the reasons behind the bowling unit’s inability to turn up might also be the team selection. India head coach Gautam Gambhir has been heavily criticised for his lack of bravery while selecting the Indian team.

The criticism has stemmed from Gambhir’s affinity for choosing all-rounders over specialists. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar even argued that India’s success in the series owes more to the players’ resilience than Gambhir’s tactics.

“India have performed well despite some of his tactical missteps. Let’s not forget: India were swept 3-0 at home by New Zealand, who then lost comfortably to Australia. The fight we’ve seen? That’s the players’ grit. Tactically, Gambhir hasn’t always made it easier, particularly with selections,” Manjrekar said on the broadcast after the conclusion of the 4th Test.

“I feel India has done well despite some of his tactical decisions. Let’s not forget: India lost 3-0 at home, New Zealand lost comfortably to Australia. The fight we’ve seen in this team? That’s down to the players. Because tactically, Gambhir hasn’t always made things easier, especially with some of his selections. And to suggest that Karun Nair ‘wasn’t dropped’… come on. You guys see it as a drop, for them it’s about ‘picking the right team’,” he added.

– Ends

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