Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has raised concerns over Rohit Sharma’s reluctance to utilize Ravindra Jadeja against left-handed batsmen early in matches. Manjrekar cited Jadeja’s impressive record against former England captain Alastair Cook as evidence of his effectiveness against left-handers.
During the rain-shortened opening day of the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, Jadeja, the only specialist spinner in the Indian team, was not called upon to bowl. Instead, pacer Akash Deep and veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared the bowling duties.
Manjrekar believes that Rohit should have introduced Jadeja earlier, especially after Bangladesh lost their third wicket at 80. He pointed out that Jadeja has a remarkable record against left-handers, having dismissed Cook six times in eight innings during the 2016 series.
“Rohit needs to be shown this stat- JADEJA vs COOK, 2016 series: In 8 innings, got him out 6 times, conceded just 75 runs. Rohit tends to not bowl Jadeja early when there are left-handers out there,” Manjrekar posted on social media.
Manjrekar elaborated on his point during an analysis on ESPNcricinfo. He acknowledged that captains have their own approaches and preferences, but he emphasized that match-ups should be considered as guidelines rather than strict rules.
“Remember, he dismissed Alastair Cook six times in eight innings. So not giving him the ball at all was baffling,” he added.
Manjrekar’s comments highlight the importance of utilizing bowlers effectively based on their strengths and the opposition’s weaknesses. Jadeja’s proven record against left-handers suggests that he could be a valuable asset for India in such situations.
