If I wasn't dropped, Rahul Dravid and others wouldn't have come in: Sanjay Manjrekar calls for Ajinkya Rahane's omission

Team India beat England on Day 5 of the fourth and penultimate Test by a comfortable margin of 157 runs, in defence of 368. While the day's play started with all three results possible, with England being 77 for no loss, Indian bowlers led the charge -- especially after the lunch break -- to dismiss Joe Root-led hosts for 210, from being 141-2 at one stage.

Virat Kohli & Co. have now taken an unassailable lead (2-1) in the five-match series and will aim for a series win when the fifth and final Test starts, on September 10 (Friday).

The visitors showed strong character to script their way back into the fourth Test, after being all-out for 191 in the first essay and providing a 99-run lead, and will be delighted with their overall effort. The likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Kohli (mainly for his captaincy), Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav contributed for the win, however, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane's failures continued.

Rahane's last ton came in the India-Australia Tests Down Under, in 2020-21, and the right-hander has remained inconsistent. He has crossed the 50-run mark only once in his last 10 innings as calls are rife for his omission. Amid all this, Sanjay Manjrekar has called for his exclusion for the fifth Test.

Speaking on Sony Sports, Manjrekar told, "You have an obligation to the guys waiting in the wings. That's how you look at Indian cricket. If I wasn't dropped, people like (Rahul) Dravid and all those guys would not have come in Hanuma Vihari first and maybe Suryakumar Yadav. Very often you are surprised by players who are out in the reserves because you haven't seen them and Ajinkya Rahane is not exuding confidence."

"If he [Rahane] gets another game, he is a very lucky batter. I wish a lot of the other batters in the past were living in this era. He has got a very long rope. If he gets another game, that's great for him. It's not like when you give him more opportunities, he is starting to look better. The most worrying thing is that he gets an innings which you think will trigger him back into form but that never happens. So, he will be very lucky if he gets one," he added.

It will be interesting to see if the Indian team management continue to back Rahane. The fifth and final Test starts from September 10, at Old Trafford, Manchester, with the momentum firmly in India's favour.