October 27, 2024: Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has urged Indian captain Rohit Sharma to move away from “T20 thinking” when it comes to Test matches, particularly highlighting the use of left-hand and right-hand combinations during India’s recent loss to New Zealand in Pune. The Kiwi spin attack, led by Mitchell Santner, effectively trapped the Indian batters, resulting in a 113-run defeat and a series loss of 2-0.
Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar criticized the decision to have Sarfaraz Khan bat lower in the order while promoting Washington Sundar, a left-hander, solely based on matchups.
“Those kind of things should not happen. It’s just bizarre. That’s one thing that Rohit Sharma needs to be careful of… the T20 thinking of matchups left-hand-right-hand combinations,” he remarked.
Manjrekar emphasized that Rohit should prioritize the overall quality and ability of players when deciding the batting order, rather than relying on strategies suited for the shorter format.
