New Delhi: Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar questioned Rohit Sharma’s tactical decisions as captain after the hosts suffered an 8-wicket defeat in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru on Sunday. New Zealand comfortably chased down the target of 107 runs in their second innings on Day 5 of the Test match to record a historic first Test victory in India after 36 years.
Manjrekar highlighted how Rohit was way off the mark with his tactics during the Test match and his poor bowling changes contributed to India’s defeat. The former India batter was particularly not impressed with Rohit’s tactics during New Zealand’s second innings on Day 5 and was left surprised by his decision to not utilise spinner R Ashwin properly.
Manjrekar criticised Rohit’s decision to bowl pacer Mohammed Siraj for as many as 7 overs on the trot as he reckoned Ashwin could have been brought into the attack much earlier on considering India were defending a low-key target of 107 runs. Ashwin bowled only 2 overs during New Zealand’s second innings on Day 5 as the visitors cruised to a comfortable victory. Manjrekar insisted the Bengaluru Test was not Rohit’s best game as a captain, tactically.
“The thing with pacers, you might get wickets, but there are always runs coming through edges. I was a bit surprised, I think tactically for Rohit Sharma, this Test match wasn’t his greatest. I can understand Siraj getting one or two overs and Bumrah getting a long spell. But Siraj getting 6 overs in that spell, I think that is far too many and already a lot of runs on the board, and you had that little margin to chase,” Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.
“And another part is Aswhin. When there is no lavish turn on the pitch, the captain tends to use him with a new ball. He would have been tough for the Kiwi batters had he started off with Bumrah, and even if he had come in the fourth over of the inning,” he added.
Rohit Sharma’s poor captaincy costs India
Rohit’s poor captaincy was earlier called out by many after the Indian skipper won the toss and decided to bat first in the match amid overcast conditions in Bengaluru. New Zealand pacers made the most of the favourable conditions to bowl India out for a paltry 46 in their first innings, their lowest-ever total in a Test match at home.
Rohit’s decision to go into the game with 3 spinners and only two pacers was also a major blunder which ended up costing India. With Mohammed Siraj failing to trouble the Kiwi batters, Jasprit Bumrah had no support from the other end during his hostile spell in New Zealand’s second innings on Day 5. Only 10 of the 32 wickets that fell in the Test match belonged to spinners, highlighting India’s major mistake in their playing combination.
