Sanjay Manjrekar feels that captain Rohit Sharma’s form will be key for the team.© AFP
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels that captain Rohit Sharma’s form will be key for the team in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. Rohit, who missed the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, last played a full series during India’s tour of England in 2021. Since then, he has been in and out of the team due to multiple reasons. Speaking on the eve of the first Test, Majrekar said that if Rohit can somehow manage to overcome the gap caused by lack of game time, India can have a reliable top-order against Australia.
“The last he played a full series, it was in England. I haven’t seen someone bat so well at the top of the order. Rohit Sharma was by far India’s best batter in that series. He played well against a difficult attack, consisting of James Anderson. Since he is coming back into Tests after a long time, the issue is match practice and match fitness. But, with the technique he has and the temperament at this stage of his career, it is great to see. If he can close the gap caused by lack of practice soon, then India will have a reliable top-order batter for the series,” Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo.
Notably, Rohit has missed eight of the last 10 Test matches for India.
His form, as well as his captaincy credentials, will be under the scanner when India take on Australia in the first Test in Nagpur.
India are likely to field three spinners, including Ravichandran Ashwin and the returning Ravindra Jadeja.
Foreign teams have often struggled to overcome conditions in India, with England thrashed 3-1 in 2021.
Australia last won a Test series in India in 2004 and India have won the teams’ last three encounters, including twice in Australia.
(With AFP Inputs)
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