Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar hailed Rohit Sharma for being optimistic and showcasing a positive intent against Bangladesh on the fourth day of the second and final Test
As the match was predominantly interrupted by the rain till day 3, it took that many days for Bangladesh to finish their first innings scoring 233 runs. When India went to bat on the fourth day, it seemed almost impossible for either of the teams to win the match as there was little time left. This is the time when the captain stepped up and asked the team to play aggressively.
As Bangladesh had just 233 runs on the scoreboard, playing aggressive cricket wouldn’t bring that many risks. India decided to do exactly that. The captain led by example by hitting the first 2 balls to six to join the elite group of people who did so. There are only 4 people in the history of Tests to do that.
White’s Rohit’s 11-ball 23 was the start, other Indian batters took over the momentum and led India to a score of 285 runs and declared the innings, thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul’s ferocious Fifties. While Jaiswal scored 72 runs from 51 balls, KL Rahul added 58 to his account from 43 balls.
This positive intent impressed Sanjay Manjrekar and he went on to praise the Indian skipper for the longer formats.
“This is the legacy..”: Sanjay Manjrekar Praises Rohit Sharma
According to Manjrekar, Rohit’s strong mentality would leave a strong team behind as he passes it on to them. He also opined that Rohit will leave behind a legacy and an important ‘contribution to Indian cricket.’
“This is the legacy that Rohit Sharma will leave behind as captain. This is how he thinks. A strong team, which is one of the top two sides in the world, they also showed the champion’s approach, realizing so much time has been lost. And he leads by example, exactly how he did in the 50-overs World Cup. So, this is what Rohit Sharma will leave behind as his contribution to Indian cricket.”
Manjrekar also highlighted Rohit’s decision to put his wicket on line for the team by playing a super-aggressive innings. And this enlivened an otherwise dead Test match.
“You do something only for the team and play to win. He does not mind in the process, like in the 50-overs World Cup… He didn’t get a big hundred on anything like that. Even here, was quite happy to put his wicket on the line and suddenly we have a Test match which India could win. You have to applaud Rohit Sharma for that,” the 59-year-old former India batter went on to add.
With a 53-run lead already, India will try to send the Bangladesh batters to the pavilion as soon as possible on the fifth day, to showcase another aggressive innings that may result in the home team winning.
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