"Virat Kohli also doesn't play that shot regularly" - Sanjay Manjrekar pinpoints Indian batters' weakness vs spin
Sanjay Manjrekar believes that the Indian batters' reluctance to play the sweep shot has proved to be the cause of their downfall against spin bowlers on many occasions.
He pointed out that star batter Virat Kohli also had trouble countering spinners during his lean patch because he wasn't keen on playing the sweep shot. The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that playing the particular stroke is a prerequisite in white-ball cricket.
Speaking to Star Sports, Sanjay Manjrekar explained:
"It has been a weakness. Indian batters don't play the sweep shot very often. Virat Kohli also doesn't play that shot regularly. When you aren't playing the sweep, the opposition can place a fielder to save singles on the leg side. The opposition captain doesn't have the pressure to put an extra fielder in the deep."
"In modern-day cricket, I believe the sweep is a basic shot, just like how leaving the ball outside the off stump is in Test cricket. We have seen that Virat Kohli, when he was low on confidence, struggled against spinners as he didn't play the sweep shot," he added.
Manjrekar also highlighted that skipper Rohit Sharma could give his opening spot in the Asia Cup 2023. He suggested that the senior batter toiling hard against spinners in practice was an indication that he could play in the middle order.
He also mentioned that there was a lot of pressure on Virat Kohli to drop down to No. 4 from his customary No. 3 spot in the 50-over format.
"Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar spoke a lot about having flexibility in the batting order," Sanjay Manjrekar continued. "However, there are a couple of players from whom it could be an issue. Rohit, who is the opener now, played in the middle-order in his first six years. Then there is Virat Kohli, who has played at No. 3 for 99 per cent of the time."
"When he mentioned flexibility, I felt that Rohit and Virat coming down the order is a possibility. We have seen that Rohit has batted a lot against spinners in practice. He could drop himself down in the order. There is also a lot of pressure on Kohli to bat at No. 4," he added.
India will open their Asia Cup 2023 campaign with a clash against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Sri Lanka on September 2.
"He has the game, it is just a matter of confidence" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Suryakunar Yadav's form in ODIs
During the aforementioned discussion, Sanjay Manjrekar mentioned how Suryakumar Yadav has failed to translate his red-hot T20 form into ODI cricket. He pinpointed the dynamic batter's three golden ducks in the home series against Australia earlier this year.
Manjrekar emphasised that Suryakumar needs to trust his defence in 50-over cricket. The cricketer-turned-commentator seemed optimistic about the swashbuckler doing well, suggesting that he has the game to succeed in the format.
"Suryakumar Yadav bagged three successive golden ducks against Australia," Manjrekar elaborated. "If he gets a chance now and if a few wickets have fallen early, he should focus on defence. You need your defence at times in 50-over cricket. You need singles and doubles, it is not a game of fours and sixes."
"I think he can manage that. The other thing, even in T20 cricket, he hits a lot of fours. He is somebody who likes to hit along the ground. He has the game, it is just a matter of confidence," he added.
The Indian contingent is currently in Alur, Bengaluru, for a preparatory camp for the Asia Cup 2023.