Sanjay Manjrekar suggests Kohli and Rohit to play County cricket
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer and current commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has advised Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play County cricket. He feels it could help them find their lost touch in Test matches before India's tour to England next year. The advice comes after both the players have struggled in the ongoing five-match Test series against Australia. Here's more.
Performance review
Rohit's performance has been awful of late
Rohit's performance in the ongoing Test series against Australia has been underwhelming. Rohit's form has been on a downward spiral. In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he has only managed 31 runs from five innings at 6.20. Before the Australia series, Rohit scored 2, 52, 0, 8, 18 and 11 against New Zealand at home in a three-match affair. India were blanked 3-0 by the Kiwis. Prior to that, he also failed against Bangladesh, scoring 6, 5, 23 and 8.
Form slump
Kohli's struggles in Australia Test series
On the other hand, Kohli has also had a tough time in the ongoing Test series against Australia. Although he scored a commendable century in the second innings of the Perth Test, which saw India winning by 295 runs, he has failed to be consistent. Manjrekar observed that balls outside off stump have been particularly difficult for Kohli, getting him caught behind on several occasions. Kohli's scores in the series are: 5, 100*, 7, 11, 3, 36, 5, 17, 6.
Expert opinion
Manjrekar's analysis of Kohli's performance
Analyzing Kohli's performance, Manjrekar said that despite his best efforts to overcome the technical issues with balls outside off stump, a lack of confidence appears to be holding him back. He suggested that playing county cricket could help both players get back to form and prove their worth to the selectors. "Kohli is suffering from a lack of confidence despite trying his heart out to nullify his technical deficiency," Manjrekar told Star Sports.
Future prospects
Manjrekar's advice for Kohli and Rohit
Looking forward to the next series in England, Manjrekar warned it won't be easy for Kohli as he would be facing similar challenges with swinging balls outside off stump. He said he would love to see both players prove their readiness by playing county cricket. "But if both Rohit and Virat intend to continue, and the selectors want to back them, I would like to see both of them play County cricket," Manjrekar added.