Sanjay Manjrekar has attributed the struggles of Indian batsmen like KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill in home conditions to inadequate training for spin-friendly pitches. Manjrekar's comments come in the wake of India losing two of their last three Test series at home, where they were outplayed by spin.
Manjrekar highlighted that these players, despite scoring heavily in domestic cricket, become accustomed to overseas conditions after being selected for the national team, leaving them underprepared for the turning tracks at home. He pointed out that India's recent defeats at home against New Zealand and South Africa were primarily due to spin bowling, not pace, swing, or bounce. He expressed his views on his Instagram account.
In the recent Test series against South Africa, the Indian batting lineup faltered against spin, while the visiting batsmen appeared more comfortable, exposing a weakness in Indian conditions. In the two-Test series, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja were the only batsmen to score over 100 runs, while senior players like Rahul and Pant struggled. Yashasvi Jaiswal managed a half-century but lacked consistency.
Manjrekar believes that domestic stars lose their edge upon entering the national setup due to a heavy emphasis on overseas cricket, which leads to under-preparation for spin-dominated home conditions.
This issue is further compounded by the absence of a Head of the BCCI's (Board of Control for Cricket in India) Sports Science department for over seven months. According to a BCCI insider, this is a critical position, as important as the head coach or chief selector. Currently, doctors assess injuries, and two physios provide rehab timelines to players. The absence of a higher authority is not helping matters.
Manjrekar had previously stated that KL Rahul needs to perform consistently and cannot be a "one-hundred wonder". He emphasized the importance of Rahul carrying his form throughout a series.
Earlier in the year, there were contrasting opinions between Deep Dasgupta and Sanjay Manjrekar regarding KL Rahul's career, particularly in Test cricket. Dasgupta called out the BCCI for unfair treatment towards Rahul, who debuted in 2015 and has played 58 Tests, scoring 3,257 runs at an average of 33.57. Dasgupta pointed out that Rahul has been made to play in different positions based on the team's needs and hoped he would be given a permanent position as an opener. Manjrekar, however, opined that Rahul has not shown enough consistency in Test cricket.
Regarding Rishabh Pant, Manjrekar defended him amidst struggles in Australia, arguing that the focus should be on his underperformance rather than his shot selection. He highlighted Pant's strong Test record, averaging 42 with significant innings and multiple centuries and nineties.
