India could try someone like Umran Malik – Sanjay Manjrekar on importance of raw speed in Test matches

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar wants the selectors to back Umran Malik in Test matches after Mark Wood made a difference for England in the first innings of the third Ashes Test match against Australia at Leeds, Headingley on Thursday.

Wood breathed down the neck of the Australian batters with his extra pace as he returned with impressive figures of 5-34 in the 11.4 overs he bowled. Ergo, the 33-year-old speedster played a key role in skittling out Australia at 263.

The gun-fast bowler accounted for in-form Usman Khawaja with a jaffa. Furthermore, he dismissed Alex Carey and didn’t allow Australia’s tail to wag as he dismissed Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Todd Murphy cheaply.

On the other hand, Umran Malik has certainly impressed with his raw pace. The Jammu and Kashmir pacer has shown the skills to consistently bowl at more than 145 kmph. Malik has scalped 13 wickets in eight ODIs whereas he has bagged 11 T20I wickets in as eight T20I games.

Malik has scalped 12 wickets in seven first-class matches at an average of 46.66 and still has a lot to prove at the domestic level. The youngster has picked 29 wickets in 25 IPL matches.

Sanjay Manjrekar tweeted: “In Tests, extra pace (Mark Wood) in the bowling attack has one advantage. The tail does not wag as much. India could trial some one like Umran Mallik for this reason.”

Meanwhile, Malik has been included in India’s limited-overs leg for the West Indies tour but he has not been picked for the two Test matches. Malik certainly has the pace under his belt but he needs to work on his line and length.

The 23-year-old from the Valley had snared 22 wickets in 14 matches of IPL 2022 for Sunrisers Hyderabad but didn’t have a great run in IPL 2023 as he scalped five wickets in eight matches.

India’s T20I squad: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (VC), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (C), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.