India head coach Gautam Gambhir clarified that Karun Nair was not dropped for the recently concluded Manchester Test, and that he was replaced by Sai Sudarshan based on team combinations. Nair, who was struggling to hold on to his place after the first three Tests, made way for the Tamil Nadu player, who played just his second Test after playing the first Leeds Test. However, cricketer-turned-expert Sanjay Manjrekar was not ready to accept the reasoning by the coach and said that if someone is dropped from the team, he was dropped.
Sudarshan scored a fighting half-century in the first innings of the Manchester Test before bagging a duck in the second innings. Meanwhile, Nair failed to score a 50 in the six innings he batted.
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“And to suggest that Karun Nair wasn’t dropped… come on. You guys see it as a drop; for them, it’s about ‘picking the right team’. If someone is dropped, he is dropped,” Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.
Sanjay Manjrekar not impressed with Gautam Gambhir's few tactical decisions
The expert further went on to state that Gambhir, in the ongoing five-match Test series, has not been strategically precise in decision-making. Despite securing a hard-earned win in Manchester, the visitors are still trailing 1-2, with just one match to go at the Oval.
“I feel India has done well despite some of his (Gambhir) tactical decisions. Let’s not forget: India lost 3-0 at home (to) New Zealand, lost comfortably to Australia (away). The fight we’ve seen in this team? That’s down to the players. Because tactically, Gambhir hasn’t always made things easier – especially with some of his selections,” he said.
Gambhir, who always has a stoic expression, which does not give away an inch on what he is thinking, was asked to relax and take a chill pill by Manjrekar. The expert feels that while the outside noise can sometimes be too irritating and disturb the team's harmony, the former Mumbai player has urged India's head coach to avoid negative news.
“It’s not about ‘you guys think’ and ‘we think’ – we’re all part of the same industry and the same country. I’d just like to see him take a chill pill, relax a bit, and be open to tough questions. Whether that will happen, I’m not sure,” said Manjrekar.
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