Former Team India batter Sanjay Manjrekar backed his comment that Virat Kohli picked the easiest format by focusing on ODI matches. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that top-order batting in one-day cricket is simpler than many people believe, with players often preferring to bat lower down in Tests.
Earlier this week, Manjrekar felt unhappy seeing Kohli move away from Test cricket and focus more on ODIs. He shared his view after watching Joe Root and Steve Smith score centuries in the final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Notably, Kohli has smashed 53 ODI tons, the most in the format.
Sanjay Manjrekar Sticks to Claim That ODIs Are the Easiest Format for Top Batters
Sanjay Manjrekar defended his view that Virat Kohli chose the easiest format by focusing on ODIs. He said batting at the top in one-day cricket is not as tough as it looks. Manjrekar explained that many players who opened for India in ODIs were middle-order batters in Test cricket.
“A lot of people have asked me why I keep saying ODI cricket is easy for top-order batters. Go back a few years in Indian cricket and look at the guys who were opening for India for a long time in 50-over cricket,” Manjrekar said on his Instagram.
"Those batters were middle-order batters in Test cricket. They were not very keen to open in Test cricket or bat in the top three. They were very happy to play at No. 4, 5, 6,” he added.
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Manjrekar did not mention Virat Kohli by name but said that many batters line up to bat in the top three in one-day cricket because the role is easier compared to Tests. He added that in ODIs, bowlers focus more on controlling runs than taking wickets.
“But come one day cricket, they were almost desperate to bat in the top three and open. Therein lies the answer as to why I believe it's easy for top order batters, because everybody is queuing up to bat in the top three," Manjrekar continued.
"The first advantage you get when you are opening in 50-overs cricket or batting at No. 3, there's no four slips and a gully. And you know when a bowler is running in, he's not really coming in to get you out. He's just trying to make sure you don't get 10-15 runs an over,” he added.
Virat Kohli ended his Test career in May after a tour of Australia. He finished his Test journey with 9,230 runs in 123 matches, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. In Australia, Kohli scored 190 runs across nine innings and was dismissed several times while chasing deliveries outside off stump.
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Sanjay Manjrekar said that players like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina batted in the middle and lower-middle order in ODIs and still maintained an enviable record. He stated that batting in the middle order requires more skill and patience than opening or batting at No. 3.
“So if you are a good enough player, you just play out the first 10 to 15 overs. Then the field spreads out, and slowly, if you are a good rotator of strike, you get to a 100. The tough place to bat in one-day cricket is where Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, or MS Dhoni would bat, which is 4, 5, 6. Those were the tough positions,” said Manjrekar.
“So if you are looking for a batting great, you won't find them in one-day cricket, and especially at number one, two, and three. One day cricket is the last place I would look at to see my batting great of today because there's just far too much going for people who bat in the top three in one day cricket,” he added.
Also read: Virat Kohli just 42 runs away from surpassing Kumar Sangakkara in all-time international runs list
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