Key Points

India's stunning batting resilience forced England into an uncharacteristic draw at Old Trafford. Manjrekar noted Stokes' rare tactical shift, calling it a sign of India's psychological edge. The former batter criticized Stokes' late declaration attempt as a moment of frustration. This Test proved India's young lineup can disrupt even England's aggressive approach.

Key Points: Manjrekar Says India's Fightback Forced Stokes to Rethink Leadership

  • KL Rahul and Shubman Gill set the tone with crucial knocks
  • Washington Sundar and Jadeja's centuries sealed India's fightback
  • Stokes abandoned batting-first principle for first time
  • Manjrekar highlights England's visible frustration post-match
3 min read

India has forced Stokes to rethink his approach and leadership style: Manjrekar after draw at Old Trafford

Sanjay Manjrekar claims India's gritty draw at Old Trafford made Ben Stokes abandon Bazball principles, exposing England's frustration.

"It’s rare to see England settle for a draw twice in the Bazball era. – Sanjay Manjrekar"

New Delhi, July 28

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar stated that India's fighting batting effort at Old Trafford to salvage a draw from the jaws of a defeat has forced England captain Ben Stokes to rethink his leadership style.

After the gritty knocks from KL Rahul (90) and the captain Shubman Gill (103), all-rounders Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja stood tall against the English bowling attack and scored individual centuries before agreeing on a draw on Sunday. It was one of the greatest fightbacks from the Indian team after being two down without a single run on the board.

The frustration of India's comeback in the match was visible on England players and captain Stokes, who looked tired and had no plan left to take India's remaining wickets.

"I think that was the perfect summation of what happened - a draw that feels like a win. And yet again, this young Indian batting line-up continues to surprise. You expected KL Rahul and Shubman Gill to be the partnership to watch out for, but that stand was broken early in the day. However, India keeps producing warriors every Test match - this time, it was Washington Sundar who stood tall. Fantastic batting once again. In the end, what we saw was frustration from a team that is used to dominating at home," Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.

"It’s rare to see England settle for a draw twice in the Bazball era. Remember, this is the first time Ben Stokes abandoned his principle of batting first after winning the toss - and it happened against India. This draw, without any weather intervention, came against India. That says a lot. India has forced Stokes to rethink his approach and leadership style," he added.

Manjrekar also believes frustration towards how the day unfolded lead to Stokes' attempts of calling it a draw before the two allrounders reached their respective centuries.

"What we saw towards the end was a captain frustrated, unaccustomed to such results, and having to fight so hard to secure a favourable outcome. He thought the win was sealed, and finally, I must say, he behaved like a bit of a spoiled kid. After 48 hours of watching Jadeja and Washington bat for hours, both nearing centuries, there was no way India would have accepted his declaration offer. Ben Stokes will regret that moment - and that frustration only tells you how much this new-age Indian batting line-up has unsettled England throughout the series," the former batter said.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya N
While I'm proud of our team's performance, I think Manjrekar is being too harsh on Stokes. Every captain gets frustrated - remember how Dhoni used to be? Let's celebrate our team without putting others down.
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Aditya G
This is why Test cricket is the best! The patience and determination shown by our lower order was incredible. England thought they had us at 2/0, but our boys proved them wrong. Jai Hind! 🏏
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Sarah B
As a cricket fan living in India, I must say this was one of the most exciting draws I've seen! Both teams played brilliantly, but India's resilience was truly special. Can't wait for the next match!
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Vikram M
Manjrekar is spot on! England's arrogance with Bazball was bound to fail against our technically sound batsmen. Sundar's innings was pure class - reminds me of the great VVS Laxman's fighting spirit.
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Kavya N
The real hero was Jadeja! The way he supported Sundar and then reached his century - pure determination. Our all-rounders outplayed England's in every department. Proud moment for Indian cricket! 💙

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