‘Has to come out of T20 thinking’- Sanjay Manjrekar warns Rohit Sharma after Pune defeat

The Rohit Sharma-led India’s defeat in the first two matches of the three-match Test series against New Zealand has drawn a lot of criticism. With victories of eight wickets in Bengaluru and 113 runs in Pune, the Kiwis established an insurmountable 2-0 lead.

Throughout the series, India has made some dubious choices, beginning with its choice to bat first in Bengaluru on a wet pitch and in gloomy conditions. With all of the Indian hitters out at sea against the Kiwi seamers, the hosts ultimately gave up for 46, the lowest team score in Asia’s Test history. The selection of a spin-bowling track for the second Test is another one that is under scrutiny because it backfired on India.

However, Sanjay Manjrekar has pointed out another decision that hurt India’s chances, this time in the batting order. With Virat Kohli already in the middle, India advanced Washington Sundar past Sarfaraz Khan in the fourth innings of the second Test after Rishabh Pant was removed, continuing to use a left-hand-right combination.

The former Indian cricket player referred to the action as “bizarre” and stated that the captain of India ought to abandon the T20 mentality that involves these kinds of matches.

“Sarfaraz Khan is a left-hander, so it shouldn’t be necessary to have him bat down the order and send Washington Sundar over him. It’s quite strange. One thing Rohit Sharma needs to watch out for is the left-hand-right-hand combinations that are used in T20 matches. “I believe he ought to rely solely on the players’ general calibre and skill,” Manjrekar stated.

Despite aiming for 359 runs, India was bowled out for 245 after Washington and Sarfaraz scored 21 and 9, respectively.

Mitchell Santner bats through the Indian lineup.

India found it difficult to handle Mitchell Santner’s precise bowling and deft speed adjustments. Utilising the circumstances to his advantage, the left-arm spinner caused the renowned Indian batting lineup a number of issues.

Also Read: Ashwin and Jadeja are allowed to have bad games: Rohit Sharma

Tormenting the Indian batters, Santner grabbed seven wickets in the first innings and six in the second. He had never taken six wickets in a match or more than three in an innings in Test cricket. But in red-ball cricket, he delivered his finest bowling performance to help the Kiwis pull off a huge victory.