New Delhi, October 21, 2024: Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has raised concerns over Rohit Sharma’s captaincy following India’s surprising eight-wicket loss to New Zealand in the first Test match at Bengaluru. The defeat marked a significant moment, as it was New Zealand’s first Test win on Indian soil since 1988.
Manjrekar was particularly critical of Rohit’s decision to delay bringing in spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s top performer in home conditions, even after New Zealand started their chase on Day 5. Instead, Rohit chose to bowl Mohammed Siraj for extended spells, despite the pacer’s lack of success.
“The thing with pacers, you might get wickets, but there are always runs coming through edges,” Manjrekar remarked. “Tactically for Rohit Sharma, this Test match wasn’t his greatest. I was a bit surprised…Siraj getting six overs in that forespell, I think that is far too many,” he added, referencing how quickly New Zealand capitalized on this strategy, putting runs on the board without much resistance.
Manjrekar also emphasized how Ashwin’s delayed entry might have cost India valuable control over the game. “Ashwin would have been tough for the Kiwi batters had he started off with Bumrah, and even if he had come in the fourth over of the inning,” he noted.
Despite the criticism, Rohit Sharma remained optimistic during the post-match presentation. He acknowledged his team’s resilience, especially during the second innings, where they managed to recover from a deficit of 356 runs. “It was a good effort with the bat in the second innings… Couple of partnerships were really exciting to watch and got us back in the game,” Rohit stated, adding, “We could have easily been bowled out cheaply but proud of the effort.”
With two more Tests remaining, India will be keen to bounce back and maintain their home winning streak of 18 consecutive series. The second Test against New Zealand begins on October 24 in Pune, where Rohit’s captaincy will be under close scrutiny.
