Ravindra Jadeja's Biggest Critic Comes Out In His Support; Points Out Rohit Sharma Underusing Him
Rohit Sharma and Ashwin (Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com)
Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed his discontent with Indian captain Rohit Sharma's decision-making on Day 1 of the ongoing second Test between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur. He pointed out Rohit's choice of not giving bowling to Ravindra Jadeja despite Bangladesh having five left-handers in their top seven batters.
Manjrekar Questions Rohit's Strategy Of Not Using Jadeja
Earlier in the match, India opted to bowl first after Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose an unchanged lineup from the first Test in Chennai, which included three fast bowlers and two spinners.
However, what caught the attention was that despite Jadeja's impressive record against left-handed batters, he was not called upon to bowl even a single over on the rain-affected first day.
Sanjay Manjrekar shared statistics from the 2016 India-England series, in which Jadeja dismissed Alastair Cook six times in eight innings, conceding only 75 runs.
He shared a post on his social media (Twitter), and stated that Rohit Sharma should be reminded of these numbers. He also suggested that the Indian captain overlooked Jadeja's effectiveness against left-handed batsmen.
IND Vs BAN: Quick Summary Of Day 1 of the second Test Match
Rohit Sharma's decision to bowl first turned out in favour of India as the bowlers had a decent outing before bad weather interrupted play. The day saw only 35 overs bowled before rain and bad light forced an early end.
Akash Deep proved to be a game-changer as he made an immediate impact. He displayed excellent skill and precision and claimed the wickets of Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam. In the spin department, Ashwin was introduced soon after lunch and delivered the crucial wicket of Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.
For now, India will hope the weather clears up, allowing them to make the most of their bowling options and gain control over the Test.