WTC Final: "If Rishabh Pant Was Around, It Would Have Seemed More Likely" - Sanjay Manjrekar On India's Chances Of Winning The WTC 2023 Final Against Australia

WTC Final: “If Rishabh Pant Was Around, It Would Have Seemed More Likely” – Sanjay Manjrekar On India’s Chances Of Winning The WTC 2023 Final Against Australia

Last Update on: June 11th, 2023 at 04:30 pm

Sanjay Manjrekar, a former Indian cricketer, thinks that had Rishabh Pant been in the lineup, India would have been better equipped to chase down Australia’s 444-run goal in the current ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2023) final.

Pant is now on the sidelines as he recovers from severe injuries sustained in a tragic vehicle accident in December 2022.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that including the keeper-batter in the starting XI would have increased India’s chances of pulling off a miraculous victory.

“A miracle would have been more possible with Rishabh Pant around. If India wins, it is a miracle. But if Rishabh Pant was around, it would have seemed more likely,” Sanjay Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.

Also Read: ICC World Test Championship: India To Play New Zealand, England And Bangladesh At Home In WTC 2023-25 Fixtures

Rohit Sharma and company would have been in a strong position if they had produced a stronger showing with the ball after winning the toss, according to the cricketer-turned-commentator.

Also Read: WTC Final: “According To Me, It’s Not Out” – Harbhajan Singh On Shubman Gill’s Wicket

“He knows how to get the big scores” – Sanjay Manjrekar

Former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar also drew a comparison between Virat Kohli and Rohit, saying that Kohli, at his best, would never give the bowlers a chance once he was at the crease.

“With some batters, you can say there’s a genuine problem of lapse of concentration. This is a guy who got two hundred in the first two innings of his Test career. He knows how to get the big scores. Even against England in the four Tests, he got 100 and an 80 and looked a million-dollar right through the series,” Sanjay Manjrekar further stated.

“This wasn’t him losing the concentration. There’s some difference in Rohit Sharma playing in that fashion, against somebody like Virat Kohli in his prime. He was never going to give you a chance, once he’s in, he’s in. 4 hundreds against Australia in 2014… that’s what Kohli did,” Sanjay Manjrekar added.

Also Read: WTC Final: Rohit Sharma Breaks Multiple Records After His Valiant 43 Runs At Oval; Goes Past Sachin Tendulkar And MS Dhoni

The WTC 2023 final is set for a spectacular conclusion as both teams prepare to go all guns blazing on Day 5 of the summit fight on Sunday, June 11.