Ex-Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has hailed the innovation of the England batting lines in the pull that has broken the long-standing convention of Test cricket that standing because of a big target towards the end of the innings was next to impossible. In the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the hosts overcame a target of 371 in 5 days of the first-Test against India at Headingley, in Leeds with a score of 377/5 to win the match by 5 wickets on the 5 th day.
Sanjay 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.
“Hats off to this England side led by Ben Stokes. They’ve taken what used to be a taboo in Test cricket, that chasing 250 or 300-plus in the final innings is near impossible and completely turned it on its head. Regardless of pitch conditions or pressure, they’ve looked that belief in the face and said, We’re going to think differently. They’ve begun treating those targets as achievable,” Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.
“And guess what, even on Day 5, it’s the fielding team that ends up feeling more pressure, because now, they’re the ones who have to ensure a win. That’s the mental shift. Once you start challenging long-standing beliefs and inherited wisdom, you then need the kind of batters we saw today to actually pull it off. Joe Root, of course, is always there when England are chasing down something big.”
Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar admitted that Duckett and Zak Crawley’s assured play provided a strong basis for the pursuit. He observed that despite the Indian seamers’ best efforts, they were unable to make progress because of the pitch’s lack of support.
“But the platform was set beautifully by Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley. Unfortunately for India, I have to say, the pitch went completely flat during the morning session. Bumrah gave it everything, so did the other seamers, but the surface just went to sleep. Suddenly, it started playing like an Arun Jaitley Stadium day-five pitch, completely dead. And that’s what made India’s job of winning the game so much harder.”
Sanjay Manjrekar
Joe Root is one of all time greats: Sanjay Manjrekar
Manjrekar also thought about the unbeaten fifty three runs of Joe Root which won the match in the chase. He described Root as one of greatest of the game by stressing that although there could have been other players who performed dismally at the position, Root remained rooted to the crease and held the fort with his team.
“This is something he’s made a habit of, even in another format. In 50-over cricket recently, he played a brilliant innings where he remained 160 not out in a big run chase, and the next-best contribution in that innings was around 50 or 60. That’s Joe Root, one of the all-time greats. It’s always good to see players like Joe Root and Kane Williamson in Test cricket. We don’t get to watch them enough in this part of the world, and when we do, we’re reminded of the calibre of batters operating around the globe.”
Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar praised Root’s skill on the pivotal last day and observed that his composed demeanor at the crease not only demonstrated his talent but also calmed the other England players.
“A couple of years ago, Williamson played some all-time great Test innings, and here was Root once again giving us a glimpse of his mastery, how easily he saw England through. They had just lost Ben Stokes. If India had managed to get Root at that point, there would’ve been a bit of clutter and panic in the England camp. But Joe Root, he has his roots firmly embedded in the pitch. It’s very hard to dislodge him once he’s set. That’s what makes him so special.”
Sanjay Manjrekar
