Key Points

Sanjay Manjrekar believes Sai Sudharsan should have retained India's No.3 spot after showing promise in his debut Test. He criticizes the team management for promoting Karun Nair, who has struggled in the ongoing England series. With India trailing 1-2, Manjrekar emphasizes the need to back young talent in favorable conditions. The fourth Test starts on July 23 as India looks to bounce back.

Key Points: Sanjay Manjrekar Backs Sai Sudharsan for India's No.3 Spot

  • Manjrekar disagrees with dropping Sudharsan after one Test
  • Questions Karun Nair's promotion despite poor form
  • Highlights flat pitches and weak England bowling
  • Urges India to back young talent in crucial No.3 role
2 min read

He was always my...: Sanjay Manjrekar backs Sai Sudharsan for no.3 batting spot

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar urges India to give Sai Sudharsan more chances at No.3, criticizing Karun Nair's promotion amid England Test struggles.

"Sai Sudharsan was always my no.3 after the first test match, there was promise shown with 30 runs. – Sanjay Manjrekar"

New Delhi, July 20

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar suggested that Sai Sudharsan should have been given more chances to play at number 3 in the Indian batting order, especially considering the favourable conditions of flat pitches and a weak English bowling attack.

He expresses disagreement with the team management's decision to go with Karun Nair at number 3 after giving Sudharsan one chance in the first of five Test match series against England last month.

In a video posted by ESPNcricinfo on X, Sanjay Manjrekar said, "Sai Sudharsan was always my no.3 after the first test match, there was promise shown with 30 runs. And when you have flat pitches and one of England's weakest bowling attack, you want to play a young player so Karun Nair at no.3 three I didnt agree with maybe the team management might just want to prove a point that we were backing the right horse and give him one more match that's something happen with team management but i would like to see Sai sudharsan at no3."

Sai Sudharsan made his Test debut in the series opener against England, where he played at no. 3 as Indian skipper Shubman Gill batted at no. 4 after the veteran batter Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier this year, who batted at that position for a decade.

Sudharsan was dismissed for 0 in the first innings followed by a decent 30 runs in the second, he was dropped from the playing 11 in the second fixture and Karun Nair who batted at no.6 was promoted to no.3.

Nair failed to perform in the ongoing England series, making only 131 runs in six innings at an average of 21.83 and a best score of 40.

India will clash against England in the fourth Test starting from 23 July. The Men in Blue are currently 1-2 down in the five-match series after losing the third Test at Lord's by just 22 runs, despite a fighting effort by the tailenders and Ravindra Jadeja while chasing 193.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
I disagree with Sanjay here. Karun Nair has experience and a triple century to his name. One bad series doesn't make him a bad player. We need to support our players through rough patches too!
R
Rohit P
The real issue is our batting lineup after Kohli's retirement. We're struggling to find stability at no.3 and no.4. Maybe we should look beyond both Sudharsan and Nair? What about Sarfaraz Khan?
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Sarah B
As a cricket fan living in India, I think we're missing the bigger picture. Our batting collapses have become too frequent. Whether it's Sudharsan or Nair, we need players who can handle pressure situations better.
K
Kavya N
Manjrekar always has strong opinions! But honestly, why not give both players equal opportunities? Rotate them in different matches and see who performs better. That's how we'll find our next Kohli! 💪
V
Vikram M
The problem is our selection committee keeps changing like governments! No consistency in decisions. First they back Pant, then drop him. Same story with many players. Need a proper long-term vision.

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