Sanjay Manjrekar showered praise on the debutant Sai Sudharsan for his stunning knock against South Africa in the 1st ODI between India and South Africa at New Wanderers stadium on Sunday. Aiden Markram decided to bat first in the ‘Pink ODI’, but inside the first few overs, everything went sideways for South Africa. With the help of Arshdeep Singh’s 1st fifer in One Day International and Avesh Khan’s 4 wickets, India bundled out hosts for an achievable target of 117. Sai Sudharsan had a dream debut as he smashed a half century and was flawless.
Requiring a meager 117 runs for victory, India started off the chase with Sai Sudharsan’s classy boundary. As they say, ‘Fortune favors the brave’, Sai did get lucky with a LBW decision. So, Sai seize the opportunity and kept on playing classy cricketing shots to brought up his maiden fifty and ensure the victory of Team India in the 1st ODI against South Africa.
The cricketer-turned-commentator, Sanjay Manjrekar complimented debutant Sai Sudharsan for his fantastic knock in the first ODI between India and South Africa at the New Wanderers Stadium on Sunday. Sanjay Manjrekar said that these players are ready for the international stage, citing Sudharsan’s impressive domestic record. Additionally, Manjrekar said that because of these young individuals, Indian cricket’s future is in secure hands.
Sanjay Manjrekar heaps praise on Sai Sudharsan
The left-hander batter from Tamil Nadu has impressive stats in domestic cricket, with the average of 42.15 and 63.04 in First Class and List A cricket, respectively. Sanjay Manjrekar reflected on the sensational domestic performance of Sai Sudharsan.
During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo after India’s eight-wicket win, Sanjay Manjrekar said:
“He (Sai Sudharsan) drives off the front foot, pulls off the back foot, and the front stride comes down the pitch quite well. So, it is just another indication of the kind of health Indian cricket is in because these guys have brilliant List-A records as well,”
“We do not look at it so much before the guy actually plays for India, but somebody who averages 60 and has a strike rate very high—these are guys who are prepared,” he continued.
Sai Sudharsan came into the spotlight with a stellar season with Gujarat Titans (GT) in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL). With an average of 51.71, the youngster scored 362 runs in eight games. Sai played a under pressure crucial innings of 96 (47) in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) final against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
It is like how West Indies or Australia when they were on top – Sanjay Manjrekar on India’s talent pool
Sanjay Manjrekar further added that Indian youngsters are capable of making seamless transition into the international cricket because of the experience these guys have during Domestic cricket and IPL . Manjrekar went on to compare the Men in Blue to former dominant teams such as Australia and the West Indies:
“Currently, there is an Indian dressing room which is filled with confidence and depth that anybody who comes in, it is like how West Indies or Australia when they were on top. They just came in and seamlessly became a part of the mainstream international cricket and the team,” he further added.
On Tuesday, December 19, St George’s Park in Gqeberha will host the second One-Day International (ODI) of the series.