Sanjay Manjrekar has recently criticized Ravindra Jadeja's performance in the first Test against England, singling out his bowling as particularly disappointing given the favorable conditions. Jadeja's returns of 0/68 and 1/104 in the first and second innings respectively, have come under scrutiny, especially considering the presence of a helpful rough on the pitch.

Manjrekar highlighted Jadeja's inability to exploit the rough against England's left-handed batsmen, Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes. He pointed out that on the final day of the Test, with the pitch conditions offering assistance to spin bowlers, more was expected from an experienced player like Jadeja. While acknowledging that there were a couple of chances created, Manjrekar emphasized that Jadeja's overall impact was not up to par.

This isn't the first time Manjrekar has been critical of Jadeja. Back in 2019, he referred to Jadeja as a "bits and pieces" player during the ODI World Cup, a comment that drew a sharp response from Jadeja himself. However, Manjrekar later admitted his mistake, acknowledging Jadeja's brilliance on the field. Despite their past disagreements, Manjrekar's recent criticism appears to be solely based on Jadeja's performance in the recent Test match.

Jadeja's Test record in England has generally been underwhelming. In 12 Tests, he has taken 27 wickets at an average of 43.48. While he has scored a century, his batting average in England is less than 30. Since June 2021, his bowling average in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries is 47.60, with just 15 wickets in 11 Tests at a strike rate of 105.2. This contrasts with his overall career bowling average of 24.14.

Manjrekar has even suggested the possibility of including Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI to add variety to India's spin attack. He believes that new head coach Gautam Gambhir's unconventional mindset might open the door for a two-spinner strategy, even in England. While acknowledging that Jadeja's batting at No. 7 provides balance to the team, Manjrekar questions his effectiveness with the ball, particularly against England's aggressive batting approach.