'Thing Of Past' - Manjrekar Backs Rohit Sharma To Tackle 'This' Weakness

image-lqgf1vapRohit Sharma (Twitter)

Sanjay Manjrekar backed Indian skipper Rohit Sharma to shine bright upon his return to the international stage via the marquee and challenging two-match Test series in South Africa and underlined one major improvement area for the top-order giant. 

The former India batter reckons Rohit has undergone a successful transformation with his technique and overall game against left-arm pacers after facing sustained heat against them at the international stage. 



The elegant right-hander was considered a sitting duck versus left-arm pacers swinging the ball into his body as his weight used to fall on the off-side and the bat came down at an angle, which provided the gateway for cheap LBW dismissals. 

Manjrekar On Rohit's Major Improvement Area 

However, Manjrekar noted, ever since the start of the recent ICC World Cup 2023 in India, the batter has been carrying a stronger base and technique versus his historic nemesis and establishing command over them. 

One of the distinct features of Rohit's tremendous 597 runs made at a strike rate touching 130 was how he dominated renowned threats like Shaheen Afridi and Trent Boult against the new-ball, never letting them settle into any rhythm or lengths. 

"The weakness you are talking about, the weakness against left-arm pacers, is a thing of the past. Not anymore. In the last two or three years, he hasn't had any problems. Mitchell Starc in the home series. He was comfortable against Australia with the new ball," Manjrekar told Star Sports. 

"Shaheen Afridi was supposed to be the danger man against Rohit Sharma. That was a Rohit who used to plant his front foot across the line. Not anymore. I think he has become a good Test player."

Manjrekar praised Rohit's overall transformation as a Test batter, who has emerged as a successful opener for India after a surprised promotion up the order four years back. Since the pathbreaking move back in September 2019, he is averaging a highly impressive 53.64 over 41 innings in Tests with seven hundreds and six fifties. 

"When he gets runs at the Test level these days, it's just occupation of the crease, which is an incredible memory that I have of him from England. When he came to the fore as a Test opener, he got a hundred there and ended up as the highest run-getter in that series."

"The number of hours he batted there in that series. The occupation of the crease is giving him a high now in Tests. It's exactly the opposite role he played in the World Cup," Manjrekar added.