“He, like Virat Kohli, was only looking to get out on the front foot” – Ex-India cricketer on under-fire Rohit Sharma ahead of BGT 2024-25 2nd Test
Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar has opened up on skipper Rohit Sharma’s lean patch with the bat ahead of the second Test in Adelaide on Tuesday, December 3. Manjrekar reckoned that Rohit is a backfoot player with the ability to play the ball late but he was doing the exact opposite during the three-match Test series against New Zealand. He further credited Rohit for working on his front foot in the nets ahead of the pink-ball Test.
Notably, Rohit scored 91 runs in three home Tests against New Zealand. The right-handed batter has managed just 133 runs in his five Tests, including a solitary half-century. The 37-year-old returned with three off 11 deliveries against Australia PM XI in the warmup game in Canberra.
Sanjay Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo:
“The one thing that I saw during the New Zealand series was that he, like Virat Kohli, was only looking to get out on the front foot but not big a step. And when it comes to places like Australia and South Africa, that starts getting you into troubles.”
“So, he’s not a big front-foot stride player but he wasn’t going on the backfoot at all or playing late but I just saw that he was little slipping where he was practicing in the nets and you got the impression that he was telling himself to get the front foot forward if he is going to keep playing forward or just play close to the ball,” he added.
The reaction comes amid ongoing debate on Rohit's batting slot after KL Rahul grabbed the opportunity with both hands in Perth, scoring 26 and 77 in the two innings.
Manjrekar further warned Rohit Sharma regarding uneven bounce Down Under. The cricketer-turned-commentator advised him to play pull shot with utmost caution. He said:
“I think that is what he needs to do and watch out for that pull shot that has got him in trouble. It’s an instinctive shot that he plays short of a length and it will bounce a little more than the kind of instinct that he has playing a pull shot, having batted mostly in the subcontinent.”
Rohit has 2,033 runs in Australia across formats. Overall, he has 3571 runs against the Aussies, including nine tons.
“The silliest thing you can do is write off champion players” – Michael Hussey on Rohit Sharma
Former Australia batter Michael Hussey recently backed Rohit Sharma to deliver in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. He said (via NDTV):
“They (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) have got a lot of crowd pullers and quality. The silliest thing you can do is to write off champion players. We have seen it so many times in the past - they come under criticism, but they come out and perform really well. So I'm backing them to perform well in Australia. They are proud Indians and proud Test players. But I still feel Australia will start favourites.”
Rohit would now be keen to deliver after Virat Kohli returned to form, smashing his first ton after 16 months in the first Test in Perth. India won the match by 295 runs. Like Rohit, Kohli had managed 93 runs in three Tests against New Zealand.