Indian skipper Rohit Sharma’s captaincy has come under the scanner over the last couple of the days in the 1st Test vs New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. After admitting that he read the pitch wrong on the opening day for his side to be bowled out for 46, Rohit let the match slip away on the third day with his ineffective bowling changes and field placements.
India had reduced New Zealand to 233 for 7 after picking up some early wickets on the 3rd day. But Rohit let centurion Rachin Ravindra and pacer Tim Southee put on 137 runs for the 8th wicket as the Black Caps pulverized the Indian bowling attack.
The three overs before lunch were specially damaging for India as New Zealand plundered 48 runs in those overs. Overall New Zealand scored 165 runs in 31 overs in the first session.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar slammed Rohit Sharma’s captaincy and compared it to MS Dhoni’s leadership skills.
“Dhoni had this very unique ability to preempt & make a bowling change before the damage went out of control. Rohit needs to bring that quality into his leadership,” Manjrekar wrote on social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter).
Dhoni had this very unique ability to preempt & make a bowling change before the damage went out of control. Rohit needs to bring that quality into his leadership. #IndvNz
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) October 18, 2024
Earlier, Manjrekar had criticised former India skipper Virat Kohli’s dismissal during the first innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru on Thursday. During the ninth over of the first innings, pacer William O’Rourke dismissed Kohli for a nine-ball duck.
After dismissing skipper Rohit Sharma, New Zealand got the big scalp of Kohli as the 35-year-old batter tried to play a delivery just short of length on off-stump, but encountered some extra bounce. Virat tried to defend on his toes but it caught his top glove before flying towards Phillips at leg gully, who took a fine catch. During his shot.
Taking to X, Manjrekar wrote that Virat has ‘compounded’ his problems by trying to play on front foot on every ball and he could have tackled Rourke’s wicket-taking delivery by playing on back foot.
“Have said this before will say it again. Virat has compounded his problems by wanting to be on the front foot to every ball. No matter the length. Today’s dismissal ball could have been comfortably tackled off the back foot. #INDvNZ,” posted Manjrekar on X.
Have said this before will say it again. Virat has compounded his problems by wanting to be on the front foot to every ball. No matter the length. Today’s dismissal ball could have been comfortably tackled off the back foot. #INDvNZ
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) October 17, 2024
In four Tests this year, Kohli has scored 157 runs in seven innings at an average of 26.16, with no fifties and best score of 47. In the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, Virat has scored 468 runs in 11 innings across seven matches at an average of 46.80, with a century and two fifties and best score of 121.
This decade of 2020s has not been the best for Kohli as a Test player. In 32 Tests during this decade, he has scored 1,745 runs in 55 innings at an average of 32.92, with two centuries and eight fifties and best score of 186.
