Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar didn’t seem impressed with the Indian team management after they dropped Mayank Agarwal for the 3rd Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India had received a massive boost as they were joined by Rohit Sharma after serving his 14-day quarantine in Australia. But as soon as Rohit joined the squad, he ended up in a vague controversy as he along with four other players were put under investigation for a potential bio bubble breach in Melbourne.
Mayank Agarwal who had copped up scores like 17, 9, 0, and 5 in four innings averaging just 7.75 faced the axe as soon as Rohit Sharma finished his 14-day quarantine in Australia. Agarwal who had a stellar start to his career after debuting during 2018 Australian averaged close to 50 before the series began, had to make way for Rohit Sharma, a decision which wasn’t appreciated by many in the cricketing fraternity including Sanjay Manjrekar as it was expected that Mayank Agarwal would get a longer run for the openers spot.
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It has again become a tactic of rejecting players and not selecting – Sanjay Manjrekar
Former India opener Sanjay Manjrekar believes that though Rohit averages more than 50 in Tests, he hasn’t even opened in overseas conditions which is why it will be a challenge for Rohit to tackle Australia’s pace trio in these challenging conditions.
“Rohit Sharma does not have bad numbers at the No.6 position, where he has played 25 innings. But his recent exposure in Test matches has been as an opener and there he has a very good average. But he has never opened in overseas conditions. He was not there in New Zealand and last time when he was here in Australia, he was playing down the order. So, it will have to be seen how he plays against the swinging ball,” Manjrekar said.
Sanjay Manjrekar added how Mayank Agarwal shouldn’t have been dropped from the Test side since it has become a pattern of rejecting players for India and not selecting players after a couple of failures. Manjrekar said he would’ve retained Mayank as the opener along with Rohit and shifted Shubman down the order.
“But the person they have dropped, it has again become a tactic of rejecting players and not selecting. If it was up to me, I would have kept Mayank Agarwal in the team because he is a young player, has been in good form. I would have kept Shubman Gill down the order with Rohit Sharma as an opener.”
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