India head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav (ANI Photo) Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar hit out at head coach Gautam Gambhir following India’s crushing 76-run defeat of the South African national cricket team in their opening Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup in Ahmedabad. The loss, India’s heaviest ever in T20 World Cup history, pushed the defending champions to the brink of elimination and severely dented their net momentum. Widely backed to become the first player to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title, the Suryakumar Yadav-led team now faces must-win games to stay alive in the tournament.
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Manjrekar questioned several tactical decisions, notably the promotion of Washington Sundar to No.5 during India’s unsuccessful chase of 188 for the first wickets. The move came after Sundar was preferred over vice-captain Axar Patel, a selection that had already sparked debate, though the team management termed it a tactical call. Speaking on CNN-News18’s Stump Mic, Manjrekar used a stark analogy to describe Sundar’s expanding role in XI. “Kailasi Jeevan, there used to be a medicine with that name. If you had a headache, you would use it. If you had a stomach problem, you would take it. It was an all-in-one medicine. It seems Gautam Gambhir also has an all-in-one solution, Washington Sundar,” Manjrekar said on CNN-News18’s India Stump. “If there’s a problem with the bat, Washi. If there’s a problem with the bowling, Washi. Today he went up the order at No. 5, and then Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya came in at No. 7. It was just too much,” he added. South Africa have taken advantage of India’s vulnerability to changes in pace, with Lungi Ngidi troubling the batters with well-disguised slower deliveries. Manjrekar emphasized that the area required urgent attention and picked captain Suryakumar Yadav. “Forget the fast balls, focus on playing the slower balls. They are not able to handle the slower balls or the spinners. The captain struggles the most with the slower deliveries,” he said. India now focus on the crucial clash with Zimbabwe national cricket team. Not only do they need to win to keep their semi-final hopes intact, they will also need a comprehensive win to repair the damage done to their clean run in Ahmedabad.
