Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has shared his views on the ongoing debate about the performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Test cricket. The cricket pundit suggested that it is unfair to judge Kohli and Rohit by the same standard given their Test records.
Kohli and Rohit's dreadful form continued in the crucial Boxing Day Test where Team India suffered a 184-run defeat at the hands of hosts Australia, who now lead the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy by a margin of 2 -1, with the final Test scheduled for Sydney on January 3.
Sanjay Manjrekar says Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should not be judged by the same standards
In the fourth Test against Australia, Rohit made a solid start but was dismissed for just 9 after facing 40 balls, while Kohli again fell cheaply for 5, continuing his struggles with deliveries outside the stump. Both batsmen have struggled in 2024, averaging just over 24 in Test cricket.
The Indian skipper has two centuries and two half-centuries this year, while Kohli has one ton and one fifty to his name in Test cricket in 2024. Fans and many pundits have suggested that the Indian batting icons need to consider retirement from Tests after consistently poor scores in the ongoing 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
However, Sanjay Manjrekar believes Kohli should be given more chances and hailed the dashing right-hander as one of the greatest Test batsmen, but also questioned the role of India's batting coach Abhishek Nayar , as the latter continues to exit in the same way.
Sanjay Manjrekar defends Virat Kohli, questions role of India's batting coach
The former Indian batter also strongly said that there is no comparison between Rohit and Virat as Test batsmen. He slammed Abhishek Nayar for Kohli's recurring problems while insisting that enough has been said about the former Indian captain and it is time to leave him alone.
Sanjay Manjrekar told Star Sports, “I have to say there is no comparison between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as Test batsmen. Kohli is right up there. He is a great test batter and Rohit is a good test batter. Rohit's white ball batting is great. So Virat obviously deserves a longer rope.
It is not so much about Virat Kohli. I want to know what India's batting coach is doing. We can't solve the obvious problem of such a good player. Enough has been said about Virat Kohli; we just have to leave him alone.”
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Sanjay Manjrekar urges Indian cricket team management and Ajit Agarkar to act on Rohit Sharma's Test future
Manjrekar also urged the Indian cricket team management not to wait for Rohit Sharma to take a call on his Test future but rather take action on their own. The commentator noted that Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar has enough power to take decisions for Indian cricket.
He emphasized that it is now Ajit Agarkar's responsibility to decide the future, not Rohit Sharma, but reiterated that Virat Kohli's situation is a very different matter. Manjrekar further explained, “It doesn't really depend on Rohit Sharma. If you look at the way the team selection protocol and hierarchy are, the chairman of selectors has a decision to make.”
Manjrekar signed off saying, “He has the power to do what's best for Indian cricket, so it's not so much about Rohit Sharma himself, you know, deciding what the future should be. The chairman of the selectors has this power. That's with Rohit, and he looks down in weakness. Virat Kohli is a different matter altogether.”