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Key Points

Sanjay Manjrekar has questioned India's selection decisions after their second Test against England. He believes Sai Sudharsan deserves a longer run at No. 3 instead of Karun Nair. Manjrekar also backed Nair's emotional return but suggested a lower-order role. The former cricketer criticized the team management's tendency to make frequent changes.

Key Points: Sanjay Manjrekar Backs Sai Sudharsan at No. 3 Over Karun Nair

  • Manjrekar criticizes India's selection calls after England Test
  • Advocates Sai Sudharsan as No. 3 over Karun Nair
  • Supports Nair's emotional comeback in lower order
  • Questions team management's chopping and changing
2 min read

Sanjay Manjrekar questions Team India's selection calls, backs Sai Sudharsan for No. 3 role

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar questions India's Test selections, advocating for Sai Sudharsan at No. 3 while supporting Karun Nair's comeback.

"I would like to see Sai Sudharsan at number three. Karun Nair is not a number three player in my book. – Sanjay Manjrekar"

New Delhi, July 9

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has raised questions over some of the selection decisions made by the Indian team management during the second Test against England, particularly the omission of young batter Sai Sudharsan after just one match.

Speaking on an ESPNcricinfo video, Manjrekar said that while a win can often overshadow questionable calls, he found some choices surprising.

"There were some very interesting selections made in the last game which I didn't agree with," Manjrekar said.

"In the end, a win can put a cover on those decisions. I thought Sai Sudharsan, after just one match, would be left out, considering he is a young player that we are looking at for the future. He played pretty okay in the second innings. I'd like to stick with him but this team management is slightly different and they are not afraid to chop and change depending on the vibe," he added.

Manjrekar went on to advocate for Sai Sudharsan to be slotted at No. 3, while also commenting on the suitability of Karun Nair in that position.

"I would like to see Sai Sudharsan at number three. Karun Nair is not a number three player in my book," he stated.

"It is unfair to drop him after one Test if everyone is getting big hundreds. I think Sai deserves that opportunity as well," he added.

At the same time, Manjrekar expressed his support for Karun Nair, citing the emotional context of his selection and return to the side.

"I would like Karun Nair to get one more chance just because of the story around his selection and comeback," he said.

Manjrekar suggested that Nitish Kumar Reddy could make way for Nair further down the batting order.

"Maybe Nitish Kumar Reddy could make place for him down the order," he said.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Completely disagree with Manjrekar here. Team management knows what they're doing. We won the match, didn't we? Let's not second-guess every decision. Trust the process!
K
Karthik V
As someone who watched Sai in domestic cricket, the boy has serious talent. But Test cricket is different. Maybe he needs more time in A tours before being thrown into the deep end?
A
Ananya R
Why is everyone forgetting about Pujara? He's been our rock at No.3 for years. Emotional decisions won't win us matches. We need experience in Test cricket! 😤
M
Michael C
Interesting perspective from Manjrekar. As a neutral observer, I think India needs to balance youth and experience better. The No.3 slot is crucial in Test cricket.
D
Divya L
Our selectors keep changing players like musical chairs! How will anyone settle down like this? Either back a player properly or don't pick them at all. Very frustrating as a fan 😒

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