Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar shared his views on the ongoing debate surrounding the performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Test cricket. The cricket insider has suggested that it is unfair to judge Kohli and Rohit by the same standards given their Test records.
Kohli and Rohit’s atrocious form continued in the crucial Boxing Day Test where Team India suffered a 184-run defeat at the hands of hosts Australia, who now lead the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 by 2-1, with the The final Test is scheduled for Sydney from January 3.
Sanjay Manjrekar says Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should not be judged by same standards
In the fourth Test against Australia, Rohit made a good start but was dismissed for just 9 after facing 40 balls, while Kohli again fell cheaply for 5, continuing his run of deliveries outside the off-stump. Both batsmen have struggled in 2024, averaging just over 24 in Test cricket.
The Indian captain has two centuries and two half-centuries this year, while Kohli has a ton and a fifty to his name in Test cricket in 2024. Fans and many experts have suggested that the Indian batting icons should consider retiring from Tests consistently low scores in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia.
However, Sanjay Manjrekar believes Kohli should be given more opportunities and hailed the dashing right-hander as one of the best Test batsmen, but also questioned the role of India dressing coach Abhishek Nayar as the latter continues to date same way.
Sanjay Manjrekar defends Virat Kohli, questions role of India’s batting coach
The former Indian batsman also strongly said that there is no comparison between Rohit and Virat as Test batsmen. He slammed Abhishek Nayar over Kohli’s recurring issues while insisting that enough has been said about the former Indian skipper and it is time to leave him alone.
Sanjay Manjrekar told Star Sports: “I have to say there is no comparison between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as Test batsmen. Kohli is right up there. He is a great Test batter and Rohit is a good Test batter. Rohit’s white ball hitting is superb. So Virat obviously deserves a longer rope.
Not so much for Virat Kohli. I want to know what India’s batting coach does. We can’t solve the obvious problem of such a good player. A lot has been said about Virat Kohli. we just have to leave him alone.”
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Sanjay Manjrekar urges Indian cricket team management and Ajit Agarkar to act on Rohit Sharma’s future
Manjrekar also urged the Indian cricket team management not to wait for Rohit Sharma to get a call for the Test future but to take action themselves. The commentator noted that the Indian chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, has enough power to take decisions for Indian cricket.
He emphasized that it is now Ajit Agarkar’s responsibility to decide on the future, not Rohit Sharma, but reiterated that Virat Kohli’s condition is a very different matter. Manjrekar further explained, “It doesn’t really depend on Rohit Sharma. If you look at how the team selection protocol and hierarchy is, the chairman of selectors has the decision to make.”
Manjrekar signed off saying, “He has the power to do what’s best for Indian cricket, so it’s not so much with Rohit Sharma, you know, to decide what the future is going to be. The chairman of the selectors has this power. This is with Rohit, looking down in his slumber. Virat Kohli is a completely different matter.”
2024-12-30 12:16:00
