‘Going in with a half-fit bowler is a crime’ – Navjot Singh Sidhu slams Indian management ahead of ENG vs IND 5th test

Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has come down hard on the Indian team management and captain Shubman Gill for fielding a not fully fit Akash Deep in the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval. Sidhu was highly critical of the decision, pointing out that Akash Deep looked physically restricted on Day 4, struggling with his line and bowling wayward deliveries as the match progressed.

The 61-year-old highlighted the pacer's fitness issues, citing his groin injury that had ruled him out of the fourth Test at Manchester. Despite this, he was brought back into the XI for the decisive Oval Test, replacing Anshul Kamboj. Deep bowled 17 overs in the first innings for 1/80 and followed it up with another 20 overs for 1/85 in the second, including the dismissal of Harry Brook. Sidhu questioned the logic behind restoring the bowling attack from the Edgbaston Test without considering the fitness factor.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sidhu revealed that even during English commentary, there were concerns about whether Akash Deep had taken an injection to be match-ready. “You are playing a bowler in a Test match after giving him an injection, while a fit left-arm pacer like Arshdeep is sitting on the bench. Why didn’t you play him? Going in with a half-fit bowler is a crime. It is a cardinal, heinous error,” he remarked.

Sidhu slams Gill’s handling of pacers, warns about Siraj’s workload

Sidhu didn’t hold back in criticizing skipper Shubman Gill either, accusing him of mismanaging the fast bowlers. He felt that Mohammed Siraj has been overburdened with long spells, especially in Jasprit Bumrah's absence. “Your other two bowlers, who are meant to be racehorses, end up becoming workhorses,” he said, warning that Siraj might suffer a breakdown if such a workload continues.

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“Today, it was completely exposed. The ball is going a foot wide on the left side. He is not able to bend. He cannot get down. He is trying to play football, and even that he cannot manage. He is clearly in discomfort,” Sidhu added, emphasizing how playing a half-fit Akash Deep has hurt the team. He further urged the Indian captain to learn from the English setup, saying, “They played four fast bowlers. One got injured, and they still had three. Now you have just three, and not even a proper three. It is not even two and a half now.”