Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar criticized Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for their constant failures in BGT 2024-25. Reacting to his dismissals on Day 5 of the Boxing Day Test, Manjrekar said Kohli’s all-time greatness could be in doubt while Rohit played a knock that was unforgivable.
Team India lost to Australia by 184 runs in Melbourne in the fourth Test of the five-match series on Monday, December 30. Chasing 340, the visitors were bowled out for 155 in 79.1 overs. Rohit (9) got stuck in a ravine, trying to hit Pat Cummins. Kohli (5) died again chasing a ball deflected outside the off stump of Mitchell Starc.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo after India’s disappointing batting effort, Manjrekar questioned the shot selection of India’s two senior batsmen. He commented:
“Rohit Sharma, the shot he played after playing so well, I don’t think there is any excuse for that. That should be seen as a mistake. For Virat Kohli to keep coming out like this makes you doubt his total greatness because he is coming back too much.”
After India lost three wickets for 33 runs, Yashasvi Jaiswal (84) and Rishabh Pant (30) lifted the visitors with a fourth-wicket stand of 88. However, the latter was killed by part-time spinner Travis Head, missing an attempted pull. While Pant received a lot of criticism for his shot selection, Manjrekar wondered if India was making an outward attempt to chase the target. The 59-year-old said:
“As for Pant, I wonder if in that last session, because India had so many wickets in hand, there was some talk. In the press conference, Rohit Sharma alluded to that. With wickets in hand, they thought that “They could have a go with Pant and see if things happen; some miraculous comeback could happen. If that wasn’t the case, they could play for a draw.”
India’s batting crumbled after Pant’s departure as they went from 121-4 to 155 all out. For Australia, captain Cummins and pacer Scott Boland picked up three wickets each, while Nathan Lyon contributed two.
Kohli and Rohit Stats in BGT 2024-25
Kohli has managed just 167 runs in seven innings in BGT 2024-25 so far, at an average of 27.83. He scored a hundred in the second innings of the Perth Test, but other than that, he has done very little of note. He reached 36 in the first innings in Melbourne but appeared to be shaken by Jaiswal’s departure and died soon after, once again playing a loose shot outside off.
Rohit, who missed the first Test, managed only 31 runs in five innings at a dismal average of 6.20, with a best of 10. He has not shown any kind of batting pace in the three Test matches he has been in. part of.
Edited by Renin Wilben Albert.