Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar opened up about whether the Rohit Sharma-led side erred in their selection for the pink-ball Test against Australia. Sanjay Manjrekar said that Harshit Rana deserved to be part of the squad for the second Test, considering his performance in the warm-up match.
The Indian cricket team suffered a 10-wicket loss in the second Test match at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide on Sunday, December 8. Australia outplayed India in all three departments to level the five-match Test series at 1-1. Travis Head was named Player of the Match for his match-winning century.
Harshit Rana Should Have Played The Second Test Match – Sanjay Manjrekar
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Sanjay Manjrekar stated that Harshit Rana performed better than Akash Deep during the warm-up game. Manjrekar added that he didn’t see any issue with the selection.
“See, we saw Akash Deep in India, we saw him in the warm-up games as well, and Harshit Rana and Akash Deep both played the warm-up game. Harshit Rana even there looked better, and there was every reason that he should have played the second Test match, and there was a fair bit of gap as well. So, I don’t think the selection was a problem,” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.
Harshit Rana Struggled with His Bowling in the Second Test
Harshit Rana struggled with his bowling in the second Test between Australia and India in Adelaide. The young fast bowler was hammered by Australian batters in the first innings. Rana conceded 38 runs in just five overs after Jasprit Bumrah removed Nathan McSweeney and Steve Smith in quick succession.
His lack of control over line and length was evident throughout the match. Rana conceded 86 runs in 16 overs at a rate of 5.40 per over. India missed an experienced third seamer in the match. Rana was fast-tracked into the Test team following impressive performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
I can’t sort of visualize, you know, Washington Sundar playing and doing a far better job – Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar said that Mohammed Siraj performed well given his current ability. He also mentioned that the Indian team’s selection, including Harshit Rana, wasn’t problematic or a game-changer. Manjrekar added that a player like Washington Sundar wouldn’t have likely made a significant difference.
“Siraj has done well with the kind of ability that he has at the moment, whether it’s similar to the one that he had four years back, I have no idea, but he gave his best, and we always had Bumrah. So, selection-wise, India was fine. Just, you know, the inclusion of Harshit, but that also wasn’t a game-changer,” Majrekar stated.
“I can’t sort of visualize, you know, Washington Sundar playing and doing a far better job or, you know, would have got India in a winning position because the pitch was typically Australian where, you know, Australia got more out of it. And to be fair to Rohit Sharma, I mean, Nathan Lyon also didn’t turn up despite the selection. It must be one of those rare wins for Australia when Nathan Lyon hardly featured as a bowler.”
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