The India Cricket Team is currently in panic mode claims for India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar. This is mainly owing to the fact that Rohit Sharma and Co were handed a humiliating 3-0 loss at home by New Zealand in the recently concluded Test series. Manjrekar even questioned the selection of KL Rahul in the Border Gavaskar Trophy squad after his string of poor performances in recent times.
India’s next assignment is the IND vs AUS Test series in Australia. And it is a difficult job for the visitors who need a 4-0 win to automatically qualify for the WTC Finals. Should India fail to achieve the desirable result, then they would have to bank on the results of other teams to make it to the finals in the summer.
Sanjay Manjrekar questions KL Rahul’s selection
India currently faces a conundrum in the opening spot if Rohit Sharma is unavailable for the Perth Test. He went on to question how KL Rahul gets his chance in the Playing XI after failing to perform in recent times.
“Clearly, India is in panic mode. They are a bit shaken by what happened against New Zealand at home. So that is the time when you go back and do the right thing. And play players who deserve to get a chance. KL Rahul. You know, I don’t know, there’s some fascination that the team management, selectors have for him that they just want him part of the playing 11, whether it’s at the top or down the order,” Sanjay Manjrekar told ESPNCricInfo.
The former India cricketer also questioned whether Abhimanyu Easwaran would get his chance or not. The Bengal opener has been brilliant in the domestic format so far. He has 5 hundred in his last 8 First Class matches. But for India A, Easwaran has failed to perform thereby raising doubts over his selection.
Who will open for India?
“Maybe Abhimanyu Easwaran hasn’t convinced them as much. But it’s not for us to play God and decide that maybe Abhimanyu Easwaran won’t get run in the Test match. We’ve had many examples in the past where players have surprised you by the performances. Sometimes you yourself are surprised by your own sort of performance as to the height that you reach. So keep it simple and make the right choice,” Manjrekar added.
Majrekar was pretty harsh in saying that no one knows surely if Easwaran would fail if he gets his chance in the Perth Test. He claimed that KL Rahul has previously played as an opener and has a century in Australia. And that probably is the only reason why he continues he be a part of the team.
“I would actually say KL Rahul should consider himself very lucky to be getting opportunities. He’s got 100 in Australia. So that is why he keeps coming back into plans. But I think it’s time to now maybe, not with conviction, that you think Abhimanyu Easwaran is the guy to open along with Jaiswal. Maybe that doesn’t fill you with too much confidence, but that would be the right thing to do,” he concluded.
