Former India batter turned veteran commentator Sanjay Manjrekar criticized Rohit Sharma’s decision to promote himself up the order and messed up the combination of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal as well. However, his woes continued despite a change in batting position as he
was dismissed for just three runs off five deliveries in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test as well.

“When you play well against Australia, you are respected a lot. KL Rahul, who has been India’s best batter in this series, has scored runs at the top, put on a record stand as well. India moved him out of his preferred position just so that Rohit Sharma can get an opportunity to return to form This is the wrong way of thinking,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on Star Sports during commentary.

“Press conference mei Rohit Sharma ne kaha thha ki voh disturb nahi karna chahte Yashasvi Jaiswal aur KL Rahul ki joh position hai, lekin jab match ki shuruvaat hui, toh bilkul disturb kiya unhone (Rohit Sharma had said in the press conference that he does not wish to disturb the positions of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. But, when the match began, he certainly disturbed it),” Manjrekar further added.

Before the first Test in Perth, KL Rahul came to bat in the middle order after his stint at the top came to an end with the 2023 Border-Gavaskar series in India as well. He again opened for India during Rohit Sharma’s absence as well.

“He (Rahul) will open the innings. I will play somewhere in the middle. Based on what has happened and what KL has shown outside of India, you know, he probably deserves that place at this point in time. And, you know, it is something that has given us success in the first Test, to have that big partnership with Jaiswal on the other side,” Rohit Sharma had said before the second Test in Adelaide.