'Rohit Sharma Set Template For Batters Around the World..': Sanjay Manjrekar Decodes How Indian Skipper Shun 'Pitch Talk'

Rohit Sharma led the way for India as the Men in Blue crushed Australia in Nagpur by an innings and 132 runs in the first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023.

There was a lot of ‘pitch talk’ ahead of the series, Australian media questioned Indian management, accusing them of ‘doctoring’ the pitch in Nagpur.

However, not only did Indian players impressed on the same track, Rohit smashed a sensational century on a tricky surface where Australian batters had no reply to the Indian spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Former Indian cricketer turned commentator, Sanjay Manjrekar hailed Rohit for his impact, and he also lauded the Indian captain for ‘setting a template’ on how to tackle bowlers on tricky surfaces like the ones in Nagpur.

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Manjrekar in his article for Hindustan Times wrote that Rohit set a template for batsmen all around the world.

“One important factor was Rohit Sharma. Rohit actually set a template for batters around the world including some from his own team on how to bat on pitches like this,” wrote Manjrekar.

He also decoded how the 35-year-old tackled Australian bowlers, while the visiting batsmen struggled on the same track.

“Generally the first imperative for a batter when the ball is released by the bowler is estimating the length, where it’s likely to pitch with regards to where you are standing,” he added.

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“If it is going to be a fair distance away then you go on the back foot, which means going deep into your batting crease and giving yourself time to watch the ball and have control over its behaviour,” wrote Manjrekar further.

“If it’s going to pitch very close to you then you get on to the front foot and have that bat so close to the pitching of the ball that you just stub out any possible surprises the ball may have for you. This is the gospel of batting,” added the veteran further.

Rohit will be looking to continue his rich vein of form when India and Australia will lock horns in the second Test in Delhi.

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