Not setting eyes only on the scoreline, former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar has identified Shubman Gill’s revelation as a batter on this English tour. He has further claimed that India is missing their two veterans, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but not their contributions.
India might not have produced the desired results in the series so far, as they are trailing in the series 2-1 and will have to win the match at The Oval at any cost to level the scoreline and secure the first Anderson-Tendulkar trophy jointly with the hosts.
However, Shubman Gill has been an absolute masterclass of a batter alongside several other Indian batsmen who have also done a commendable job. KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja follow Gill as the highest run-getters in the series, as the Indians occupy the top 4.
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As we see Shubman Gill here in a league of legends – Jonathan Trott
Shubman Gill and the rest of the Indian batters’ stunning show in England has prompted Sanjay Manjrekar to drop a truth bomb, as they have dismissed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s need in the Indian team as batters.
Speaking to JioStar, Jonathan Trott hailed how India has managed to put the pressure back on England despite the tremendous batting show from the English batters.
“If you’re taking the Joe Root out of the side or taking two experienced players like India have had to retire recently, it would be a very, very different scenario. I think India have given a great account of themselves,” Trott said in the post-match session.
“They’ve kept the series alive, and it’s certainly interesting to see the mood in the bus on the England bus when it goes down to London compared to the Indian bus on the way down to London.”
“As we see Shubman Gill here in a league of legends, as it said, and certainly has the opportunity to go to the top of that sort of leaderboard there, and I wouldn’t bet against it,” he added.
Shubman Gill already has scored 722 runs in this series with 2 more innings left in the final Test at The Oval. He is just 16 runs behind Joe Root’s previous record of 737 runs in the India vs England series of 2021. This is the highest run scored by an Indian batter on an English tour.
Sanjay Manjrekar claims India does not miss Kohli-Rohit contributions
The former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar has claimed that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirement has been made at the right time by the two veterans, and he identified their recent dip in form over the last few months.
Sanjay Manjrekar also pointed out the exposure to several young talents after the two veterans had retired and left the void of two confirmed spots on the Indian side.
“Rohit Sharma was averaging 10 in the last two series that he played, and Virat Kohli was averaging 30 in the last five years. So they were perhaps not easy to replace, but it wasn’t like it was a huge loss. It was a loss of two very senior players, but not a loss of contribution, because they weren’t contributing as much,” explained Sanjay Manjrekar.
India to play series decider at The Oval
The India vs England series has been an absolute stunner, as it featured all-round Test action in this one-month-long series. India has won one match at Edgbaston, while England won the first and third Tests at Headingley and Lord’s, respectively.
After the Manchester Test ended in a draw, India is now in a must-win situation to avoid a series loss on English soil. This is the first edition of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, and the match at The Oval will be crucial for both teams in all aspects of the game.
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