Sanjay Manjrekar had said Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja shouldn’t have been part of the playing XI during the ODI series against Australia.
The Indian cricket fans on social media have come down hard on former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar. The Mumbai cricketer has drawn the fan’s ire after suggesting that all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja shouldn’t have been part of the playing XI during the ODI series against Australia.
Manjrekar was of the opinion that playing with specialists would help the visitors perform well in the ODIs against Australia. Hardik Pandya, who played the series primarily as a batsman proved Manjrekar wrong by ending up as India’s highest run-getter with 210 runs in three matches including a couple of 90s.
Recovering from a back injury, Hardik Pandya did not bowl at all in the first and third ODIs. Ravindra Jadeja didn’t have a great time with the ball in the three ODIs but came up with a crucial 66 not out in the third ODI in Canberra on Wednesday (December 2).
“I was sceptical when they picked him on IPL performance. I thought he was a good T20 batsman but 50 overs is a slightly different game. Can Hardik Pandya be a pure 50 overs batsman and he proved to all of us that he can,” Manjrekar told Sony Six after India's 13-run win in the 3rd ODI.
“He had that score in the first match but we have seen him get runs and not be consistent enough but we have seen in this game again today. So yes, India have found a pure No. 6. Who knows he might start going up the order,” the 55-year-old commentator added.
Earlier this year, Manjrekar was excluded from the BCCI’s commentary panel in India’s series against South Africa as well as the IPL. He was later reinstated as a commentator ahead of the ODI series between India and Australia.
Manjrekar had sparked a controversy when he called all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja a “bits and pieces cricketer” in an interview during the 2019 World Cup. “I am not a big fan of bits and pieces players which Jadeja is at this point of his career in 50-over cricket. I would rather have a batsman and a spinner,” he had said.
Ravindra Jadeja had an unbeaten 150-run partnership with Hardik Pandya for the sixth wicket in Canberra. Both all-rounders recorded a fifty, while the latter fell short of his maiden ODI hundred by just eight runs. Pandya had scored 90 runs in the first ODI as well.
With the two all-rounders performing exceptionally well for the Indian cricket team, fans were once again furious with Sanjay Manjrekar for his controversial opinion, which even included former India opener Wasim Jaffer.
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