Ajit Agarkar directly told to back Virat Kohli and drop Rohit Sharma from Test team

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has shared his views on the ongoing debate surrounding Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's performances in Test cricket. The cricket pundit has suggested that it’s unfair to judge Kohli and Rohit by the same standard, given their Test records.

Kohli and Rohit's horrific form continued in the crucial Boxing Day Test, where Team India suffered a 184-run defeat to the hosts, Australia, who are now leading the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 with a 2-1 margin, with the final Test scheduled for Sydney from January 3.

Sanjay Manjrekar says Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli shouldn't be judged by the same standards

In the fourth Test against Australia, Rohit made a solid start but was dismissed for just 9 after facing 40 balls, while Kohli fell cheaply again for 5, continuing his struggle with deliveries outside the off-stump. Both batters have struggled in 2024, with averages just above 24 in Test cricket.

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The Indian skipper has two centuries and two half-centuries this year, while Kohli has one ton and one fifty to his name in Test cricket in 2024. Fans and many experts have been suggesting that the Indian batting icons must consider retiring from Tests after their consistently poor scores in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia.

However, Sanjay Manjrekar feels Kohli should be given more chances and hailed the dashing right-hander as one of the greatest Test batters, but he also questioned India’s batting coach Abhishek Nayar’s role, as the latter continues to get out in the same fashion.

Sanjay Manjrekar defends Virat Kohli, questions role of India’s batting coach

The former Indian batter has also strongly said that there is no comparison between Rohit and Virat as Test batters. He slammed Abhishek Nayar for Kohli's recurring issues while insisting enough has been said about the former Indian skipper and that it's time to leave him alone.

Sanjay Manjrekar said on Star Sports: “I must say there is no comparison between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as Test batters. Kohli is right up there. He's a great Test batter, and Rohit is a good Test batter. Rohit's white-ball batting is great. So, Virat obviously deserves a longer rope.

It's not so much about Virat Kohli. I want to know what the batting coach of India is doing. We can't solve the obvious problem of such a fine player. Enough has been said about Virat Kohli; we just have to leave him alone.”

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Sanjay Manjrekar urges Indian cricket team management and Ajit Agarkar to act on Rohit Sharma's Test future

Manjrekar also urged the Indian cricket team management not to wait for Rohit Sharma to take a call on his Test future but rather to take action by themselves. The commentator noted that the Indian chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, has enough power to make decisions for Indian cricket.

He emphasized that it is now Ajit Agarkar’s responsibility to decide the future, not Rohit Sharma, but reiterated that Virat Kohli's situation is a very different matter. Manjrekar further explained, “It's not really up to Rohit Sharma. If you look at how the protocol and the hierarchy of team selection are, the chairman of selectors has the decision to make.”

Manjrekar signed off by saying, “He has the power to do what's best for Indian cricket, so it's not so much about Rohit Sharma himself, you know, deciding what should be the future. The chairman of the selector has that power. That's with Rohit, and he does look down in the doldrums. Virat Kohli is a different issue altogether.”