Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has found himself in hot water after making controversial remarks about Indian legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly while applauding Virat Kohli’s bravery for batting at No.3 in the ongoing Test against New Zealand. Manjrekar’s tweet praised Kohli for stepping up to bat at a position he has rarely taken on in Tests, but the comparison to Tendulkar and Ganguly sparked outrage among fans.
In his post on X (formerly Twitter), Manjrekar lauded Kohli’s decision to bat at No.3 in place of the injured Shubman Gill, calling him a “true champion.” However, he drew a contrast by stating that while Tendulkar and Ganguly were eager to open in limited-overs cricket, they did not show similar enthusiasm for batting higher in Tests.
“Hats off to Virat Kohli! Coming out to bat at No.3 because the team needed it. Ganguly, Tendulkar were very keen to open in white-ball cricket, but never wanted to go up the order in Tests. That’s a true champion right there for you! Virat,” Manjrekar tweeted.
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Fan Backlash
Manjrekar’s comments were met with fierce criticism from cricket fans, who accused him of disrespecting two of India’s most revered cricketers. While his comments about Tendulkar’s limited time batting higher in Tests held some truth—Tendulkar batted only once in the top three across his 200-Test career—his remarks on Ganguly seemed factually incorrect. Ganguly, who debuted at No.3, scored two centuries in his first two Tests against England and had a respectable record batting higher in the order, with a better average at No.3 than his overall career average.
Kohli’s Gamble Fails as India Struggles
Kohli’s decision to bat at No.3, despite his poor record in that position, did not pay off. He was dismissed for a duck off nine balls, falling to New Zealand’s rising pacer Will O’Rourke. The ball rose sharply, catching the inner part of Kohli’s gloves, and was caught at short fine leg. This dismissal contributed to India’s catastrophic collapse, as the team was bundled out for just 46, their lowest-ever Test total on home soil.
The performance left India reeling, as New Zealand’s bowlers, led by Matt Henry’s five-wicket haul (5-15) and O’Rourke’s four wickets (4-22), tore through the Indian batting lineup under overcast skies at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. India’s dismal performance marked their third-lowest Test score overall, with five batsmen—including Kohli—registering ducks.
Historic Low for India
India’s collapse to 46 all out has entered the record books as their lowest total at home and their third-lowest overall, behind the infamous 36 all out against Australia in Adelaide (2020) and 42 all out against England at Lord’s (1974). New Zealand capitalized on overcast conditions, and Matt Henry became the third-fastest Kiwi bowler to reach 100 Test wickets, achieving the milestone in just 26 innings, one shy of the legendary Sir Richard Hadlee’s record of 25 innings.
India’s Struggle for Recovery
By lunch, India had already lost six wickets for just 34 runs, leaving their hopes of a competitive total in tatters. Despite Rishabh Pant‘s valiant effort, scoring 20 runs—the highest of India’s innings—he too succumbed to Henry, further worsening India’s position. With the home team now depending on their bowlers to salvage the match, the odds look heavily stacked in favor of New Zealand as they aim to exploit the fragile batting conditions.
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