England reached a commanding total of 544/7, taking a strong 186-run lead over India on Day 3 of the Manchester Test. With this, they moved closer to clinching the five-match Test series. The star of the day was Joe Root, who scored a masterful 150. His innings not only put England in control but also helped him overtake Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in Test history.

India struggles with tactics and bowling choices

While England celebrated, India appeared disorganised. One of the most confusing decisions was the complete non-use of Washington Sundar. Despite taking four wickets in the previous Test at Lord's, Sundar did not bowl a single over in Manchester across three sessions. England's batters — Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Root, and Stokes — scored freely with little pressure from the Indian bowlers.

India’s bowling looked unbalanced, especially with only Ravindra Jadeja as the main spinner. Many experts questioned the logic behind picking Sundar over Kuldeep Yadav, only to keep him out of the attack, especially as the pitch started showing turn and variable bounce.

Manjrekar raises serious questions

The issue became a hot topic after the day's play. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar, speaking on JioHotstar, criticised the decision-making.
“Can we assume that these decisions were taken solely by Shubman Gill? At this stage of his career, you'd expect him to get some inputs… or considering he has done so well as a batter, everybody has withdrawn, saying ‘this guy is getting into the zone’," Manjrekar said.
He went on to add, "Because I can't see everyone agreeing to this kind of move. Bumrah, KL Rahul, or a Gambhir thinking Washi should not be bowled… come what may.”

Gill’s inexperience shows under pressure

Sundar’s selection raised questions from the start, but the reluctance to use him in key moments made things worse. Former players expressed surprise at the decision to include an all-rounder without giving him a defined role. Though Shubman Gill has shown smart thinking in earlier games, this situation hinted at the pressure getting the better of him.

England pile on the runs

Root was finally dismissed by Jadeja, but the damage had already been done. Later in the day, Ben Stokes, who retired hurt on 66 due to cramps, returned and remained unbeaten on 77, with Liam Dawson at the crease.

Tough road ahead for India

With two full days left, India face an uphill battle. They are trailing by a huge margin and need not only a batting miracle but also smarter decisions from Gill and the team management to avoid a series defeat.