Sanjay Manjrekar tears apart Rohit Sharma following the humiliating Test series loss to New Zealand

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar said that skipper Rohit Sharma should not apply his T20 strategies in the longest format of the game. Sanjay Manjrekar also criticized the decision to promote all-rounder Washington Sundar in the batting order in the second innings of the second Test match.

Team India lost the second Test against New Zealand by 113 runs in Pune on October 26. The Black Caps took an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three-match series. Notably, it is India's first Test series defeat on home soil since the 2012-13 season, ending a streak of 18 consecutive series victories.

Rohit Sharma Needs To Be Careful Of - Sanjay Manjrekar

Speaking on the ESPNCricinfo show, Sanjay Manjrekar questioned the decision to send Sarfaraz Khan below Washington Sundar in the second innings of the recent match. Manjrekar also said that Rohit Sharma should avoid T20-style thinking in Test matches.

"India backed themselves, batted first but 46 all out is a problem. It should have been a 180 all out, the series would have panned out differently," Manjrekar said.

"But I would say this though, that move to have Sarfaraz Khan bat down the order and sending Washington Sundar above him because he is a left-hander, those kind of things shouldn't happen."

"It's just bizarre. That's one thing that Rohit Sharma needs to be careful of. The T20 kind of thinking like those matchups, you should go by the overall quality of players," he added.

Washington Sundar Came To Bat Ahead Of Sarfaraz Khan In Second Innings

After Rishabh Pant was run out due to a mix-up with Virat Kohli, Washington Sundar came in to bat before Sarfaraz Khan and Ravindra Jadeja. Sundar was sent in to maintain the left-right batting combination in the lineup. The left-handed batter managed to score 21 runs, while Sarfaraz added nine runs.

New Zealand had won the first Test match in Bengaluru by eight wickets and continued their strong form with another victory in Pune. Notably, New Zealand hadn't won a Test match in India since 1988. The Black Caps secured their first-ever Test series victory on Indian soil after their consecutive wins.

Have To Applaud Gautam Gambhir For Washington Sundar's Selection - Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar said that head coach Gautam Gambhir should not be blamed for India's recent loss, adding that coaches have minimal impact on team performance. Manjrekar backed Gambhir's selection of Washington Sundar but was not pleased with the all-rounder's batting position.

"I will still maintain that the coach has the minimal influence on a team. He does not set foot on the ground, the captain is in-charge out there. But you have to applaud him for Washington Sundar's selection, which was an immediate hit," said Manjrekar.

"But the move to send him ahead of Sarfaraz Khan or maybe four spinners here would have made more sense. But to put any kind of responsibility on the door of Gautam Gambhir would be terribly unfair because until now we can't do it because in cricket, a coach has minimal influence on performances," he added.

India has complicated their chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final 2025. They need to win at least four of their remaining six matches. The third and final Test match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, starting on November 1.

Also read: Tom Latham insults Rohit Sharma and team India openly after winning the series in Pune