India vs Australia, Sanjay Manjrekar: After India’s defeat in the Boxing Day Test against Australia, the debate regarding the Test career of veteran Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli has started again. Although both the batsmen have faced criticism after their poor performances, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed his opinion about the way to evaluate their contribution in Test cricket. Manjrekar said that Virat Kohli deserves more leeway than Rohit Sharma because of his stature as a great modern-day Test player.

Manjrekar told Star Sports, “I have to say that there is no comparison between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as Test batsmen. Virat Kohli is at the forefront. He is a great Test batsman and Rohit Sharma is also a good Test batsman. Rohit’s white ball batting was brilliant. It is not so much about Virat Kohli that we are doing it. “Can’t solve the obvious problems with such a great player.”

Kohli has scored 9,207 runs including 30 centuries in his 122-match Test career. He remains India’s most successful Test captain, having led India to historic victories, including overseas series wins in Australia. On the other hand, Rohit has played 67 Tests, in which he has scored 4,302 runs. Although his Test career has included some memorable innings, it pales in comparison to his peerless white-ball legacy.

Rohit Sharma has given a forgettable performance as a Test batsman and captain in recent months. His performance in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been disappointing, scoring just 31 runs in five innings at an average of 6.20 – the worst performance for a visiting captain in a Test series in Australia. The Boxing Day Test further increased Rohit’s troubles, as while chasing 340 runs on the last day, he was out cheaply after scoring 9 runs in 40 balls. The Indian captain has scored only 164 runs in Test cricket since September, his average is a little over 10.

Manjrekar left no stone unturned in assessing Rohit’s condition. He said, “It is not really up to Rohit Sharma. If you look at the protocol and the hierarchy of team selection, the chairman of selectors has the authority to take decisions. He has the power to do what is best for Indian cricket, So it’s not so much about Rohit Sharma, you know, deciding what the future should be, it’s with Rohit and he seems to be in despair. It’s a different issue.”

In contrast, Virat Kohli has performed brilliantly, including a century in the first match of the series in Perth, which briefly silenced the critics after a poor performance during the home series against New Zealand. However, his poor consistency remains a matter of concern, he has scored 7, 11, 3, 36 and 5 in his last five innings.

Manjrekar highlighted the need to look at Kohli’s situation differently. He said, “A lot has been said about Virat. He is a great player who is going through a difficult phase. We should leave him alone and let him deal with his problems. It is just about Kohli’s form. It’s also a question of how the team management and batting coaches are addressing these problems.”

The performance of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli has sparked debate about their future in Test cricket. India’s chances of reaching the final of the World Test Championship are in danger, so the fifth Test to be held in Sydney will be decisive.

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