'Your fourth bowler keeps... ' - Former opener slams Team India after Day 2 of ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

Former India opener Navjot Singh Sidhu launched a stinging critique of India’s bowling unit following Day 2 of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester. With India struggling to make an impact after being bowled out for 358 and England replying strongly at 225/2, Sidhu called out the lack of fitness and consistency among India's fast bowlers. He highlighted the frequent injuries plaguing the squad, which forced the team to hand a debut to pacer Anshul Kamboj in a crucial fixture.

Sidhu pointed to the stark contrast between the two sides' fourth-bowling options, praising Ben Stokes for stepping up and bagging five wickets despite being a part-time bowler. "Since 1884 till now no team has won here bowling first. But Ben Stokes said we will field despite that, and they showed it. They put India on the backfoot. That is called adaptability, and this is the biggest strength. England's fourth bowler, Ben Stokes, picked up five wickets. But here your fourth bowler keeps getting injured. Sometimes Akash Deep comes in, sometimes Nitish Reddy; Arshdeep is injured outside only, and now Shardul. This is the difference," he said on his YouTube channel.

Warning of bigger trouble ahead, Sidhu emphasized how England's deep batting lineup could exploit India's lack of penetration with the ball. He observed that England’s lower order, featuring Dawson, Woakes, Carse, and Archer, has more first-class runs than India’s top four batters. "There are 34 overs to be bowled with a soft and dead ball before getting the new ball. If England continues scoring at the rate they are till then, they will score 175 runs more. It's not as bad as it looks; it is worse. Their last four batters have more first-class runs than India's top four. They have got a very long and dependable tail. This is why India has only one chance now, the first session. If you cannot seize the initiative and advantage and make a comeback there, the series will be long and the defeat will also be huge," he warned.

Sidhu questions omission of Kuldeep Yadav from playing XI

Sidhu further expressed disappointment over India's decision to bench wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Despite his excellent record in Tests and particularly against England, Kuldeep hasn’t featured in the series so far. Sidhu slammed the team’s defensive approach, calling it a waste of a potential match-winner. "Your world-class wrist-spinner is on the bench. On a wicket where the conditions were okay or overcast, your top four bowlers could not do anything. Your spinner took a wicket; that also came as a surprise. Therefore, your wrist-spinner, who could have been your trump card, is roaming the ground with trays of water. That is a waste of energy," he remarked.

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Sidhu stressed the importance of positive or aggressive thinking, stating, The opposition's weakness is not your medium-pace seamers. Shardul is not their weakness. I respect him. But here, if you want to win games, you need positive thinking. Poor and defensive thinking will not take you forward." Kuldeep, who has 56 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 22.16, has also picked 21 wickets in just six matches against England, making his absence from the XI even more questionable.