Sanjay Manjrekar hails Shubman Gill-KL Rahul's ability to ‘dig deep, bat with restraint’ on 4th day of Manchester Test
In an era of explosive batting, it was a return to classical Test cricket that stole the show on Day Four at Manchester.
KL Rahul and Shubman Gill stood tall, not with fireworks, but with grit and grace, forging a 174-run stand that reminded fans of the game's old soul — and drew admiration from the likes of Sanjay Manjrekar.
He also outlined some challenges for the pair on the final day, adding that beyond this duo, he is "not too hopeful."
After Team India was down and out at 0/2, conceding a 311-run first-innings lead, Gill and Rahul led their side out of massive trouble, offering fans two sessions of old-school, restraint-filled Test cricket. Both were chanceless for the most part, piercing the gaps for boundaries with precision. Heading into the final day, the onus lies on this pair to help India overcome the deficit and save the Test series.
Speaking on 'Match Centre Live', Manjrekar highlighted that both Gill and KL are IPL stars and could have taken down Liam Dawson, the spin-bowling all-rounder, for three sixes if they had wanted to.
"But to curb that instinct and do the exact opposite — to dig deep and bat with such restraint — is what I have admired throughout this series. I did wonder whether they had the mental reserve for it, especially KL Rahul, who has scored runs in virtually every innings. And yet, he has still been able to find that resolve to just bat for time. It has been incredible. Whatever the result on Day Five, hats off to the approach these young Indian batters have shown. Shubman Gill, for example — his strike rate was 67 before tea and dropped to 29 post-tea. That tells a great story. Regardless of the outcome, this is something India should be really proud of," he added.
Former England batter Jonathan Trott also praised Gill’s knock, noting that he started off positively, scoring at a good rate before tightening up in the final session and showcasing a solid defence. According to Trott, the Indian skipper had shown "serious mental strength."
"He can score quickly when needed, but more importantly, he has the mindset to bat for time and play the situation. When he came out in the second innings — after the chaos of that first over — we saw Shubman Gill, the batter. Maybe that moment helped clear his head. He realised he had to bat time and focus solely on getting his country, his team, into a position to save this game," he said.
Manjrekar highlighted that on the final day, there are two important phases for India: the first 30 minutes of play, as both set batters look to regain rhythm, and the period when the new ball becomes available after 17 overs.
"That will be a significant challenge. I still believe this partnership has to do the job for India. Beyond this pair, I wouldn’t be too hopeful," he concluded.
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