Sanjay Manjrekar and Rohit Sharma. Photo- X
Sanjay Manjrekar and Rohit Sharma. Photo- X

Rohit Sharma, the India captain, was lauded and praised as ‘selfless’ by Sanjay Manjrekar, ex-India batter. This was because Rohit, who missed the first Test in Perth, agreed to give up his opening position in India XI for the second Test in Adelaide against Australia.

In Rohit’s absence, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal had added 201 runs for the opening wicket in the Perth Test second innings to lay the foundation for India’s 295-run win. Sanjay Manjrekar said that Rohit Sharma voluntarily sacrificed his opening role to KL Rahul and put the team ahead of himself.

The India national cricket team, captained by Jasprit Bumrah, defeated Australia by 295 runs in the first Test in Perth. The win earned India a 1-0 advantage in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The second Test, a pink-ball match, started on Friday, December 6, at the Adelaide Oval.

Rohit Sharma Is a Guy Who Has Won People’s Hearts – Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo that KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal showed a lot of promise in their maiden encounter. Manjrekar stressed the importance of Rahul maintaining his form throughout the ongoing Test series.

This call was very important, with the kind of confidence the two openers have. Although this is going to be a different challenge. Now the challenge for KL Rahul is to carry his form. He gave us a lot of promise. Both Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul are looking good. It is almost imperative that KL Rahul carries his form after the last Test,” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.

Sanjay Manjrekar stated that Rohit Sharma continuously prioritizes the team. Manjrekar noted Rohit’s performance at the 2023 World Cup as an example of his team-first attitude. He noted that Rohit’s leadership style distinguishes him from other captains.

He is a guy who has won people’s hearts by just being a good leader who puts the team first, the way he batted in the 2023 World Cup as well. So, this was, we suggested it and we all thought it was possible that this would happen, more so because Rohit Sharma was the captain who would always put the team first and him later. It makes a lot of cricketing sense and again shows how Rohit Sharma is a little different from some of the other captains that we have seen,” Manjrekar added.

However, Mitchell Starc’s 6/48 blew away India in 1st innings as they managed just 180 runs. KL Rahul (37) and Shubman Gill (31) contributed along with Rishabh Pant, while Nitish Reddy top-scored with 42. Rohit Sharma, batting at no.6 made 3 runs.

Also Read: ‘Virat Kohli Is Adamant’- Sanjay Manjrekar Exposes India Batter’s Chink In Armor After Adelaide Test Failure