Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar recently raised concerns over Rohit Sharma’s bowling choices during the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, specifically questioning the limited use of left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja against the left-handed batters. Manjrekar pointed out what he believes to be a missed tactical opportunity in India’s bowling strategy on the rain-interrupted first day, which saw only 35 overs of play.
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, India managed to restrict Bangladesh to 107 runs for three wickets, with Mominul Haque unbeaten on 40. Taking to the social media platform ‘X,’ Manjrekar shared an interesting statistic highlighting Jadeja’s effectiveness against left-handers, particularly referencing the 2016 series against England.
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“Rohit needs to be shown this stat – JADEJA vs COOK, 2016 series: In 8 innings, got him out 6 times, conceded just 75 runs. Rohit tends to not bowl Jadeja early when there are left-handers out there,” Sanjay Manjrekar tweeted.
Rohit needs to be shown this stat-
JADEJA vs COOK, 2016 series :
In 8 inngs, got him out 6 times, conceded just 75 runs.Rohit tends to not bowl Jadeja early when there are left landers out there. #INDvsBANTEST
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) September 27, 2024
He further elaborated his thoughts during a post-day analysis on ESPNcricinfo, emphasizing that while every captain has his preferred bowlers, it’s crucial to use match-ups as flexible guidelines rather than sticking rigidly to them. Manjrekar acknowledged Sharma’s tendency to lean towards off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in spin-friendly conditions but stressed the importance of considering Jadeja’s proven track record against left-handers.
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“Every captain has a certain approach based on the bowlers he trusts more, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. I’ve noticed this trend with Rohit, not just in this series, but generally. He seems to favour Ashwin a bit more, especially when there are left-handers on the crease. While there’s some logic there, given Ashwin’s skills, match-ups like Jadeja’s against left-handers should also play a role. In the previous match, we saw how Shakib Al Hasan troubled Rishabh Pant, and there was also a dropped catch. Jadeja is a quality bowler with a solid record against left-handers. Remember, he got Alastair Cook out six times in eight innings in 2016. Not giving him the ball was surprising,” Manjrekar remarked.
Unfortunately, the second day of the Test was completely washed out due to persistent drizzle and a wet outfield, leaving both teams to hope for better conditions on Day 3.
