Manjrekar Lashes Out at Rahul, Jaiswal After Missed Opportunity at Old Trafford

Batting on the first day at Old Trafford isn’t easy. The sky was overcast, the pitch had a tinge of green, and Chris Woakes was bowling accurately. Despite these challenging conditions, Indian openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal showed resilience but were eventually dismissed. Sanjay Manjrekar has reacted sharply to this.

Bharat•Jul 24, 2025 / 01:01 pm•

Patrika Desk

Indian openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. (Photo Source: IANS)

In the first session of the Manchester Test, the Indian opening pair displayed a fine blend of discipline and technique, tackling swing and seam movement with great skill. England’s most reliable home pacer, Chris Woakes, posed a stern challenge with the new ball, but Rahul’s compact technique and Jaiswal’s firm resolve held firm. By lunch, India had reached 78 without loss in 26 overs, giving the visitors a strong platform to build on.

Rahul-Jaiswal Fail to Capitalise on Strong Start

The momentum India built in the first session dramatically dissipated after the break. Rahul, looking in superb form on 46, was caught at slip off Chris Woakes immediately after lunch. Jaiswal, who had scored 61 off 151 balls, soon followed, caught at first slip by Harry Brook off a loose delivery from left-arm spinner Liam Dawson.

‘Opportunity Missed’

Former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar, questioning the performance on JioCinema, stated that despite being in a strong position, India’s opening batsmen failed to capitalise and take the game further away from England. He felt this was a missed opportunity. He questioned whether the fatigue of a long tour was starting to show on India’s top-order players. He commented that the first session, a crucial one, belonged to India, and then the second session belonged to England. We saw two well-set batsmen, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, get out.

‘Lack of Commitment and Effort’

I’m surprised. I don’t know if I’m reading too much into this, but is it mental fatigue from the long series? These are players who have scored runs. These aren’t batsmen who would throw away an advantage after scoring 50 runs. Is it related to mental fortitude, the necessary reserve players? They have played so well until now, but there’s a lack of commitment and effort.

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