Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar heaped praise on Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma, for his aggressive mindset at the time of batting on the fourth day of the second and final Test match against Bangladesh at Green Park in Kanpur on Monday.
The hosts scored 285 runs for the loss of nine wickets in just 34.4 overs before declaring their innings. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and middle-order batter KL Rahul made valuable fifties for their side.
The Rohit Sharma-led side broke many records at the time of their batting. They scored the fastest 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 runs in the history of the longest format so far.
Sanjay Manjrekar believes that this is the legacy Rohit will leave behind as a skipper.
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“This is the legacy that Rohit Sharma will leave behind as captain. This is how he thinks. A strong team, which is one of the top two sides in the world, they also showed the champion’s approach, realising so much time has been lost. And he leads by example, exactly how he did in the 50-over World Cup. So, this is what Rohit Sharma will leave behind as his contribution to Indian cricket,” Manjrekar said while speaking on ESPNcricinfo.
He further stated that everyone should applaud the 37-year-old for his fiery knock, where he managed to score 23 runs in just 11 balls with the help of three sixes and a four in his innings.
“You do something only for the team and play to win. He does not mind in the process, like in the 50-overs World Cup… He didn’t get a big hundred on anything like that. Even here, was quite happy to put his wicket on the line and suddenly we have a Test match which India could win. You have to applaud Rohit Sharma for that,” Manjrekar added.
In a rain-curtailed Test, India raised hopes of pushing for a result even though all signs pointed towards a draw.
India’s batters went all guns blazing right from the first over.
Rohit dealt with sixes, while Yashasvi Jaiswal showed aggression in a controlled manner. The base was set, and the rest of the batters played their part to produce a run-scoring fest, an unlikely sight in red-ball cricket.
India declared on 285/9, taking a 52-run lead over the visitors. With a handful of overs left, Bangladesh stepped up to see off the day without sustaining much damage.
However, Ravichandran Ashwin wasn’t in the mood to let Bangladesh off the hook easily. His art with the ball and the mechanics of spinning the ball were enough to remove Zakir Hasan and Hasan Mahmud.
With Bangladesh trailing by 26 runs and with eight wickets in hand, India would be looking to bowl the visitors out early on the final day.
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(With inputs from ANI)
