IND vs SA: “Not Anymore”- Sanjay Manjrekar Brushes Aside This Weakness Of Rohit Sharma

Cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has brushed aside Rohit Sharma’s weakness against left-arm bowlers. Sanjay Manjrekar cited examples of how Rohit Sharma handled Mitchell Starc and Shaheen Afridi in 2023 to prove he doesn’t have issues facing left-arm pacer.

Rohit Sharma is set to lead India in IND vs SA Test series. The series commences on December 26 with the opening game at SuperSport Park in Centurion. India vs South Africa Test series will observe two encounters.

Rohit Sharma’s Weakness Against Left-Handers Is A Thing Of The Past: Sanjay Manjrekar

During a conversation on Star Sports, cricket-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar said that Rohit Sharma’s weakness against left-arm pacers is a thing of the past.

“The weakness you are talking about, the weakness against left-handers, is a thing of the past. Not anymore. In the last two or three years, he hasn’t had any problems. Mitchell Starc in the home series. He was comfortable against Australia with the new ball”.

“Shaheen Afridi was supposed to be the danger man against Rohit Sharma. That was a Rohit who used to plant his front foot across the line. Not anymore. I think he has become a good Test player,” Manjrekar said.

Also Read: IND vs SA: Fired Up And Angry! Sanjay Manjrekar On How He Sees Virat Kohli In Test Series vs South Africa

Notably, Rohit Sharma got out against Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi in two ODI games across 3 matches in 2023. In T20Is, the right-handed batsman has faced Afridi in 2 games in his career and got out once.

Rohit Sharma faced Mitchell Starc in three Tests this year but the Aussie pacer did not manage to dismiss him any any match. In ODIs, Sharma encountered Starc in 5 ODI games this year and got out only once.

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He Plays Exactly The Opposite In Tests: Sanjay Manjrekar

Rohit Sharma is a hard-hitting opening batsman when it comes to ODIs and Tests. In the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, he played many blistering knocks for Team India. However, Sanjay Manjrekar said that Rohit Sharma plays exactly the opposite in Test format.

“He plays exactly the opposite. When he gets runs at the Test level these days, it’s just occupation of the crease, which is an incredible memory that I have of him from England”.

“When he came to the fore as a Test opener, he got a hundred there and ended up as the highest run-getter in that series. The number of hours he batted there in that series. The occupation of the crease is giving him a high now in Tests. It’s exactly the opposite role he played in the World Cup,” Manjrekar concluded.

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In 2023, Rohit Sharma has shown a fabulous form in Tests. He has mustered 540 runs in 7 innings at an average of 49.09. He has also smacked 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries.

The right-handed batsman also showcased a magnificent form in ICC World Cup 2023 last month, smacking 597 runs across 11 games. He was the second-highest run-getter in the tournament after Virat Kohli.