Former India wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik feels that Team India should add all-rounder Shardul Thakur to the playing XI as he could help in green top and overcast conditions at The Oval during the fifth Test against Englanda as well. However, instead of him, the Indian team included an extra batting option in Karun Nair.

“I really think this was a pitch Shardul Thakur could have played, because a fourth medium pacer would make a lot of sense. But, if you look at Shubman Gill and his style of captaincy, he has trusted Anshul Kamboj, who was a debutant, slightly more than Shardul Thakur, which says he is not understanding how to get the best out of Shardul Thakur, and it happens,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

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I think Washington will definitely understand (Batting at No.8 after scoring a 100 at No.5). He started at No.8, did well, went to No.7, got the opportunity at No.5, got a hundred. What this does do for Washington Sundar is that they will not just look at him as a bowler, but as a proper all-rounder. He is a superb cricketer for India to have across formats. We’ll wait and see on the other ones, let’s not jump to conclusions. I think he is definitely put his name in the XI consistently across any place they play Test cricket,” Karthik said of Washginton Sundar as well.

However, Team India did not include Jasprit Bumrah for the final Test despite the series being on the line as well. Notably, Bumrah was allowed to play only three Tests due to his workload management.

“With Jasprit, I would have just asked him. It’s his body, he knows it best. The workload he has had in consultation with the doctor and the physio, I think it was their decision more than anything. If he had said, ‘I’m ready to play, don’t worry about anything’, put him in. But if he says he needs a break, I think you need to respect it,” Dinesh Karthik concluded.