Sanjay Manjrekar has opined that rank turners would have been dished out for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in India had the captain-coach duo of Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri been at the helm.
The marquee four-match Test series between India and Australia is all set to commence on February 9. The series opener will be played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur from February 9 to 13.
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The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 holds great significance and it is very crucial for India’s hopes of qualifying for the final of the ICC World Test Championship. Rohit Sharma & Co. will have to win at least three games in the series to book a place in the final.
In an interaction with ESPNcricinfo, former India batter Manjrekar said that he is unsure of how the Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid duo will approach the task of curating the tracks for the marquee Test series.
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“Considering that there is so much build-up, anticipation and because there is so much respect for the Australian side, India have always wanted or desired pitches that turn from Day 1. That just makes their job a lot easier.
“If it were Virat and Ravi, then definitely it would have been rank turners, pitches that would turn from the first session. How will this management approach, I am not sure, but let us brace ourselves for pitches that will turn from Day 1,” Sanjay Manjrekar said.
Sanjay Manjrekar Shares His Views On Australia Playing Attacking Brand Of Cricket In Upcoming Tests vs India
Manjrekar further shared his opinions on Australia playing an aggressive brand of cricket in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. He said that Australia playing attacking cricket won’t work on the spin-friendly tracks in India.
“The big difference between pitches in Pakistan and India is the turn, the difficulty factor for the visiting teams. The history of all touring sides coming to India, they have just struggled to survive, forget about scoring quickly and getting the runs on the road. Even when Pakistan played in the UAE, those pitches allowed the opposition to get runs on the board.
“England looked to dominate in Pakistan, but the pitches allowed them to do so. The same England side, if they have the same tactics, against India on the kind of pitches that we have had, I remember they tried to do it with Buttler, who attacked the spinners during the 2016 tour and failed badly at it.
“So, Australia, whether they are capable of doing what England did in Pakistan, I don’t think it should be compared because the pitches are totally different,” Sanjay Manjrekar said.
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