Sanjay Manjrekar is not the first, and won’t be the last, to question India’s team selection for the second Test that Australia won on Tuesday in Perth to square the four match series 1-1.
The former India batsman reckons the visitors made a costly mistake by not including a front- line spinner and said the team management should take the blame for selections which have “back-fired.”
Speaking after the match, Virat Kohli defended the selection call, saying it was Nathan Lyon who bowled really well on a pitch that didn’t have any assistance and that didn’t necessarily translate to an Indian spinner doing well.
“Lyon is a great bowler, so we can’t assume that a (Ravindra) Jadeja would have been as effective (as him). But India, I think, made an error in going with four seamers, specially (with) Umesh Yadav and not Bhuvneshwar Kumar,” Manjrekar, an expert with official broadcaster Sony Pictures Networks, told PTI.
“If there was one spinner (in the team) there’s always cracks and roughs, especially with left-handed batsmen in the opposition, to exploit. Jadeja could have been of more use than the fourth seamer. So, it was a selection error that may have also contributed to India eventually losing the match,” explained the 53-year-old batsman-turned-commentator.
India crumbled in the face of Australia’s remarkable turnaround and crashed to a 146-run defeat in the second Test of the four-game rubber to squander the 1-0 lead gained in the series opener at Adelaide. The hosts levelled the four-match series after India were bowled out for 140 runs in 56 overs in their second innings on the fifth and final day.
Lyon finished the match with eight wickets, including a five-for in the first innings, and was adjudged the Man-of- the-Match.
This is not the first time Kohli’s selection has been questioned after defeat as India had committed selection errors in the past as well.
(Read: The arrogance of Virat Kohli’s team selection cost India dearly)
“You don’t lose because of one factor and you can’t say that we lost because of poor selection. But you can say that there have been selections which have taken the world by surprise, not just a few people. These are selections which are unexpected and eventually have proved to be wrong selections. The team management will have to take responsibility for those selections that have back-fired,” Manjrekar said.
In another interview to Mumbai Mirror, Manjrekar also said this team has a tendency to baffle everyone with their selection policy.
“That happened at Lord’s, that happened in Perth as well. It is a 50:50 thing where 50 per cent of the people think India should have gone in with four seamers. Most people who have played the game, followed the game very closely were thinking India should play one spinner. There is a tendency of this team picking an XI that baffles everyone,” he said.
Manjrekar said India does not have too many options when it comes to selecting openers.
Young Mumbai opening batsman Prithvi Shaw, who sustained an injury while fielding in the practice game prior to the series opener, was on Monday ruled out of the entire series. The selectors have named Mayank Agarwal as his replacement for the remainder of the Test series along with the fit-again all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
Regarding the opening conundrum, he said that India could go in with Agarwal and Murali Vijay in the next Test at Melbourne commencing on December 26.
“These are Australian conditions. Hanuma Vihari, when you see him bat, you get an impression that this is a guy, who has a good technique. His scoring shots are straight in front of the wicket and he seems calm temperamentally. He is clearly a batsman who has the game to bat at (number) 1, 2 and 3. So the sense is there having Vihari bat at the top of the order,” he said.
The Mumbaikar said the team should not have high expectations from Agarwal, who opens for Karnataka.
“Even if you play Mayank Agarwal, we should not have high expectations because it is extremely tough for an Indian batsman to straightaway go into a Test match on an Australian pitch, especially at the top of the order, where the Kookaburra ball does a lot.
“So if India does not want to take that risk and put undue pressure on Agarwal, then Vihari is an option (to open the innings). But I will personally still go with Mayank Agarwal and Murali Vijay,” he added.
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