Following India’s heartbreaking 28-run defeat against England in the recently-concluded first Test in Hyderabad, former cricketer turned expert Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed his views on the challenges faced by Rohit Sharma in shouldering the responsibility that legendry cricketer Sachin Tendulkar once shouldered for the team.
As per Manjrekar, experienced Rohit had to play a role reminiscent of Tendulkar. The former cricketer suggested that the captain should act as the anchor in a relatively inexperienced Indian batting lineup.
Emphasizing the pressure on the Indian team, Manjrekar highlighted the need for a lone warrior amidst the young batters.
“You noticed Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 80 with a strike rate of 100. In the second innings, inexplicably, the strike rate dropped to 40. The only explanation is that they felt the pressure when coming in to bat. This is where Rohit Sharma had to play a role similar to what Sachin Tendulkar did for many years. He has to be the lone batter to handle the situation,” said Manjrekar during a recent interaction.
The former cricketer also pointed out that the lack of courage and excess caution exhibited by the young batters in the second innings got the better of them.
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“India, once again, made the mistake of being overly cautious. When you have players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, or Shreyas Iyer, known for their aggressive style, they should stick to that approach regardless of the situation. They are more comfortable with that style. Even if India loses a match in pursuing this strategy, fans need to understand that the team tried to play to their strengths,” said Manjrekar.
“It’s time to assess this Indian team based on their temperament. When they face adversity and feel the intense pressure, especially realizing the consequences of losing the game, we need to closely examine their resilience,” he added.