Manjrekar praised the Ben Stokes-led team for successfully chasing and defying conventional Test match knowledge. England achieved their second-highest successful run chase in Test history thanks to a spectacular 149 from opener Ben Duckett.
The long-held notion in Test cricket that chasing a large total in the last innings is practically impossible has been disproved by England’s batting strategy, according to former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar. In the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the hosts defeated India by five wickets on Day 5 of the first Test match at Headingley in Leeds after chasing down a total of 371.
Bravo to this Ben Stokes-led England team. It was always considered taboo in Test cricket to chase 250 or 300 or more in the fourth innings, but they have entirely changed that perception. They have confronted that mindset head-on and declared, “We’re going to think differently,” regardless of pitch conditions or circumstances. “They have started to view those goals as attainable,” Manjrekar stated on JioHotstar.
And guess what? The fielding team feels more pressure even on Day 5 because they are now responsible for securing a victory. That’s the change in perspective. You need the sort of batters we saw today to really pull it off once you start questioning ingrained assumptions and wisdom. Naturally, Joe Root is there whenever England is pursuing a major goal,” he continued.
With their assured play, Duckett and Zak Crawley established a strong basis for the chase, according to Sanjay Manjrekar. He observed that despite the Indian seamers’ best efforts, they were unable to make progress because of the pitch’s lack of support.
However, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley did a fantastic job setting the platform. Regretfully for India, I must admit that during the morning session, the ground got entirely flat. Bumrah and the other seamen gave it their all, but the surface simply fell asleep. All of a sudden, it began to play like a dead pitch from day five at Arun Jaitley Stadium. And that’s what made it so much more difficult for India to win the match,” the former cricket player went on.
One of the greatest of all time is Joe Root: Manjrekar
During the chase, Manjrekar also thought back to Joe Root’s undefeated 53-run match-winning knock. While many players may have struggled, Root stayed solid at the crease and maintained the fort for his team, earning him acclaim as one of the game’s greats.
Even in a different medium, he has developed a practice of doing this. The next-best contribution in that innings was maybe 50 or 60. He just played a superb innings in 50-over cricket, staying 160 not out in a massive run chase. That’s one of the greatest of all time, Joe Root. Seeing Test cricket players like Joe Root and Kane Williamson is always enjoyable. In this part of the world, we don’t get to watch them very often, but when we do, it serves as a reminder of the kind of batters that are out there,” Manjrekar said.
Manjrekar praised Root’s skill on the pivotal last day and observed that his composed demeanour at the crease not only demonstrated his class but also calmed the other England players.
Williamson produced some of the greatest Test innings ever a few years ago, and here was Root once more demonstrating his skill and how effortlessly he led England to victory. Ben Stokes had just left them. There would have been some confusion and fear in the England camp if India had been able to get Root at that stage. However, Joe Root is deeply ingrained in the pitch. Once he’s set, it’s really difficult to get him off. He concluded, “That’s what makes him so special.”
Home