‘He definitely needs rest’ – Dinesh Karthik wants Indian team management to rest star player for Mumbai Test

Former Indian cricket star Dinesh Karthik wants the team management to make changes for the final game in Mumbai. According to the 39-year-old team should rest Jasprit Bumrah despite the threat of a 3-0 loss looming large. Bumrah hasn’t been able to fire with the ball during the first two games against New Zealand. 

Dinesh Karthik said while speaking to CRICBUZZ said “Jasprit Bumrah definitely needs a rest without a doubt. That is happening, and you will see Mohammed Siraj come in. I can’t think of any other change unless someone has a niggle. I don’t see any reason why the batters who played this game or the bowlers should not get an opportunity,”

The former Indian star also said the senior members of the team need to take the blame for the series loss. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli haven’t been to fire with the bat while R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have struggled to pick wickets for India. 

Sanjay Manjrekar and Dinesh Karthik support Gautam Gambhir 

While speaking to CRICBUZZ, Karthik added “Yeah. Why shouldn't the onus of the series loss be the senior players? They will look at themselves and say, 'What could we have done better?' I don't think they have run away from it." 

The former Indian star also said “If you can celebrate the highs and the fans enjoy how important they are, when the team wins, then when the losses happen, and the brick bats are thrown at you I think they will have the courage to face it. If you go and ask each one of them personally, what they think of the series I don't think they'll have great things to say about how the whole team played, and it is only but fair to ask them questions about what can be done better for future of Test cricket in India and for Indian Test cricket.”

“So, knowing them personally, and I do know each one of them personally. They will say that they didn't have the best series. The question then becomes what do they need to do to get better and it is a very very current question to ask,” Dinesh Karthik added. 

Meanwhile, former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar while speaking to ESPNCRICINFO said “I will still maintain that the coach has the minimal influence on a team, lesser than your 11th weakest player. He does not set foot on the ground, the captain is in-charge out there. But you have to applaud him for Washington Sundar's selection, which was an immediate hit."

Sanjay Manjrekar also said “But the move to send Washington ahead of Sarfaraz Khan or maybe four spinners here would have made more sense. But to put any kind of responsibility on the door of Gautam Gambhir would be terribly unfair because until now we can't do it because in cricket, a coach has minimal influence on performances.”