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Sanjay Manjrekar has once again said Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma would have benefitted from playing in the Indian domestic cricket competitions. The comment comes in the aftermath of New Zealand inflicting a 3-0 whitewash on India in the sub-continent.
During the series, the experienced duo struggled against the New Zealand seamers and spinners as a seam-friendly surface in Bengaluru made way for rank turners in Pune and Mumbai.
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India captain Rohit, who has played 64 Tests in his career, scored just 91 runs across the three Tests against New Zealand with a highest of 52 runs in Bengaluru.
Virat Kohli, meanwhile, didn’t put his 118-Test experience to much use either. The right-hander scored just 93 runs across the six innings as India suffered demoralising collapses after another in the three Tests.
With India desperately needing a batter to stay in the middle, Kohli’s best also came in the second innings in Bengaluru where he scored 70 runs.
“The big learning for the selectors from this home season is that do not rest the already well rested players because of their stature,” said Manjrekar in a post on X.
“I say this again, both Rohit & Virat would only have benefited from playing the Duleep Trophy start of the season.”
Across the home season which included two Tests against Bangladesh and three against New Zealand, Rohit scored 133 runs and Kohli mustered 192 runs.
Manjrekar has time-and-again urged the selectors and the two stalwarts of Indian cricket to play the Duleep Trophy competition to prepare for the home season and the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
In August, Manjrekar had written on X, “India has played 249 international matches in the last 5 years. Rohit has played only 59% of those. Virat 61 % & Bumrah 34%. I see them as well rested India players. Could have been selected for the Duleep trophy.”
During the Bangladesh series, Manjrekar had commented, “… considering the amount of international matches Rohit and Virat played in the last five years, they could have been picked for the Duleep Trophy and I’m sure the time out there would have just held them at least in the first innings where they suddenly came out cold and having had to bat first,” he had said on ESPNCricinfo.
Kohli and Rohit would be under immense pressure going into the five-match Test series against Australia which begins in Perth on November 22.
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