Former India international Sanjay Manjrekar revealed the reason behind the cheap dismissals of star Indian batters, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma against Bangladesh in the first innings of the first Test match of the series.
The India stars managed to score six runs each on the inaugural day of the first Test against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
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The Men in Blue scripted a fight-back on day one after the top-order collapsed miserably at the Chepauk. Courtesy of star all-rounders R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, India managed to up a total 339/6 at stumps on Thursday.
Team India's poster boys, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma both failed to fire at Chepauk in the first innings. Moreover, Shubman Gill was dismissed for an eight-ball duck. Even KL Rahul was dismissed for cheap.
How much did Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli score in 1st Test against Bangladesh?
| Batter | Runs scored |
|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 6 (19) |
| Virat Kohli | 6 (6) |
MORE: What is Virat Kohli's Test record in Chennai?
What did Sanjay Manjrekar say about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's low scores in Chennai?
Former India international and Television pundit Sanjay Manjrekar claimed that the veteran stars should have competed in the ongoing Duleep Trophy which would have helped them to prepare better for the international.
Manjrekar further claimed that felt the duo looked 'cold' when they came on to bat. Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, the former India star said, "Rohit Sharma had his work cut out, doing what he does best. But two good balls in the right areas got him into trouble. Virat Kohli's (wicket) was a typical dismissal that we ourselves have analysed a hundred times (laughs) on espncricinfo."
He added, "Considering Rohit Sharma ånd Virat Kohli - the amount of international matches that they have played in the last five years, they could have been picked for the Duleep Trophy. I'm sure that time out there, would have just helped them, at least in the first innings, where they suddenly came out cold."
'Rohit, Kohli could've been picked for #DuleepTrophy'
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 19, 2024
Sanjay Manjrekar breaks down the first-hour dismissals #INDvBAN pic.twitter.com/TKSpKwOMJm
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