'I'm A Little Skeptical Whether That Is The Right Way To Go About' : Sanjay Manjrekar Opens Up On Indian Batsmen's Flawed Technique

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar is not known for mincing out his words and pointed out Indian batsmen’s flawed technique in English conditions. The Indian team could not be at their best in the ICC World Test Championship final as New Zealand came out on top as the inaugural Test champions. Sanjay Manjrekar believes that being on the front foot will not serve the Indian batsmen well in England.

A handful of Indian batsmen got promising starts in the final in Southampton against New Zealand; however, none managed a half-century. Ajinkya Rahane’s 49 in the first innings turned out to be India’s top-scorer in the decider, while New Zealand had a couple of half-centurions in Devon Conway and Kane Williamson, showing the required application under challenging conditions.

As a result, they lost by eight wickets, conceding another good chance to win the ICC trophy. Sanjay Manjrekar underlined that Shubman Gill needs to improve his footwork as he has been committing obvious mistakes, getting out to the ball coming in and leaving him. The 55-year old reckons that playing on the front foot seems feasible in Australia as the bounce is steep; however, it’s not the same in England.

“Gill will have to work on his footwork. It is something that is very obvious for everyone to see. He is getting out to the ball that is leaving and the ball that’s coming back in. It’s a problem, and like I mentioned in the first innings, it’s always the front foot. It’s the kind of footwork that you see from batters when you are playing in say Australia on a pitch like Adelaide where the ball really starts shooting along the ground, keeps really low with the cracks and then all batters come with the pre-conceived notion that, come what may, you are going to get on to the front foot,” Manjrekar told ESPN Cricinfo.

I’m a little skeptical whether that is the right way to go about: Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar understands that the same technique has worked for Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara; hence, Shubman Gill has adopted the same approach. However, Manjrekar doubts whether it is the right thing to follow.

“So, then, it is understandable for all batters to come with this sort of a dogmatic approach, to get onto the front foot. But you see with (Cheteshwar) Pujara, you’re seeing that with Gill…Virat Kohli plays that as well; you know that’s his basic game. I’m a little skeptical whether that is the right way to go about…to be on the front foot all the time,” he added.

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