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'It was only Rishabh Pant...': Sanjay Manjrekar points out glaring problem for India's batting in Test cricket
Ajinkya Rahane was the only player among India's top five who managed to score a half century over the two innings in the WTC final.
India ended runners-up in the World Test Championship (WTC) for the second time in a row after losing to Australia by 209 runs. India's top four was blown away in the first 20 overs in the first innings and while they fared slightly better in the second, the target of 444 was just too much and they ended up collapsing in the fifth day.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out that India's top order has been a problem for them for quite a few years in Test cricket. India's top four's average since 2022 in Test cricket has been 33.4, which is lower than England (39.9), Sri Lanka (44.6), New Zealand (45.1), Pakistan (46.7) and Australia (48.8).
“India are at the bottom with their average 33.4. In the last three years, just from memory, in the top five or six there may be one or two batters who have been in form. The rest have been almost perpetually out of form. You need at least three batters in the top five to be in form,” said Manjrekar.
Manjrekar said that it has only been wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant who has scored consistently for India in this period. Pant did not play the WTC final as he continues to recover from a horrific car crash that he suffered on December 31 last year. “With India it has been just Rishabh Pant who has been most consistent for India down the order who would keep India in the game and that is why they won a few Test matches. That is a problem that has plagued India for a while. The contribution and just the form of their batting unit in the top six going into overseas Tests, and I am disregarding the matches they played in Bangladesh, (has been a problem),” he said.
Chasing a record target of 444, India seemed to be nicely poised for posing a challenge at the end of Day 4, finishing on a score of 164/3. But they unravelled in the first session of Day 5, being dismissed for a score of 234 and losing the match by 209 runs.
