In the 53rd over of England's second innings, former England captain Michael Atherton urged Shardul Thakur to "do something" or else the Headingley Test might turn out to be "the last" of his career.

In his next over, Shardul Thakur did a Shardul Thakur. Out of nowhere, he got rid of Ben Duckett and in the very next ball, dismissed Harry Brook for a golden duck.

The delivery that got Duckett was a 128 kmph floater outside off-stump. The left-hander, batting on 149, saw this as an opportunity to get to his 150 with a booming drive, but for once, it wasn't placed as well as Duckett would have liked it.

The ball went in the air to the left of the cover fielder, where Nitish Kumar Reddy (substitute fielder) took a sharp catch.

Harry Brook came out at No.5, took a couple of steps and got himself into a strangle and was caught down the leg side. Both balls could have (should have) gone for four but ended up resulting in wickets. That has been the problem with Shardul Thakur. He rarely produces genuine wicket-taking balls to qualify as a frontline Test seamer.

If you take out those two wickets, which even Indian fans would agree were lucky breakthroughs, Shardul never really threatened any of the English batters.

6 overs for 38 runs without any wickets in the first innings and 52 runs for two in 10 overs in the second were the biggest proofs. When Shardul is not getting lucky breakthroughs, he leaks runs at more than five runs an over.

He was also picked in the Headingley Test for his lower-order batting, which produced 1 in the first innings and 4 in the second. He has had success with the bat in England and Australia but an average of 18 doesn't ooze confidence.

Manjrekar asks Gambhir, Shubman Gill to drop Shardul Thakur and pick Kuldeep Yadav

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar, therefore, instructed India captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir to drop Shardul Thakur for the second Test in Birmingham.

"I'm sorry but Shardul Thakur has to go out," Manjrekar said on JioHostar after India lost the first Test by five wickets.

India do have another seam-bowling all-rounder in Nitish Kumar Reddy who can replace Shardul but Manjrekar said India should go in with a proper bowler like Kuldeep Yadav.

"I think Kuldeep Yadav has to come back. I'm sorry to say, but That is one change India will have to make.

As for Nitish Kumar Reddy - I backed him for the first Test purely based on what he did in Australia. It's an unpopular choice because when he comes in, the balance does get affected a bit. He won't quite bowl like a fourth seamer, so India needs to take a hard call: even in English conditions, they must go with quality bowlers. If that means playing two spinners, so be it. Pick your best bowlers, irrespective of the conditions. You don't have the luxury of someone like Mohammed Shami available, or the full-strength pace battery, so I'd go one seamer short and bring Kuldeep Yadav into the XI," Manjrekar added.

The former India batter reminded that the dry English summers and the strategy of England captain Ben Stokes will definitely make spin a factor in the third and fourth innings. "He has to play. Let's also acknowledge that English summers these days are largely dry - thanks to global warming, perhaps - and that does open the door for spin. In a way, it's time to reintroduce the idea of India playing spin in England."

Praising England captain Ben Stokes, Manjrekar urged Gambhir and Gill to impart his "common sense" into India's strategy going ahead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

"Ben Stokes has already changed the narrative with common-sense, aggressive cricket. India needs to embrace the same clarity. There was a time when India would play three spinners no matter what - whether in New Zealand or England. If Kuldeep is in your squad, play him. Don't go with seamers just because you're playing in England. I'd drop one seamer and bring in Kuldeep Yadav."