NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar defended Shardul Thakur, stating that the blame for India's loss in the first Test against South Africa should not be solely placed on the all-rounder.
Manjrekar highlighted the collective failure of the Indian bowling unit as a significant factor in the defeat at Centurion.
Thakur, who was dropped from the playing XI for the second Test at Cape Town, faced criticism for his performance in the first Test, where he took one wicket in 19 overs, conceding 101 runs.
Mukesh Kumar replaced Thakur in the second Test and contributed with four wickets in the match, aiding India's seven-wicket victory.
"I understand why they wanted batting depth with Shardul, especially given that they have new players batting at 1, 3 & 5 and also Shardul's record in South Africa. I think it is unfair to blame everything on Shardul Thakur. I feel India generally didn't bowl well in that Test match, and that didn't allow them a series win," Manjrekar expressed on ESPNcricinfo.
While acknowledging the desire for batting depth, Manjrekar emphasized that India's bowling performance as a whole needed improvement. He noted that blaming Thakur alone would be unfair, pointing out the collective responsibility of the bowling unit.
"I fear Shardul Thakur will have to wait a while to play his next Test match. They will have to look at his bowling. It is not that he scored 40-50 with the bat either. He might not play a Test match for a while now as India will find other ways of strengthening their batting," Manjrekar added, speculating on Thakur's future Test opportunities.
India bounced back in the series, clinching the second Test in Cape Town in less than two days and securing a historic victory with the fastest win in terms of balls (642 balls) in the history of Test cricket.
(With inputs from ANI)
