"KL Rahul cannot be a 1-hundred wonder" - Sanjay Manjrekar on India's batting ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar has noted that KL Rahul needs to score runs consistently in the ongoing Test series against England, a facet of his game where he has been found wanting. On the flip side, he opined that Rishabh Pant will likely carry his first Test's form into the second game.

Despite India's impressive top-order batting performances, England won the first Test in Leeds by five wickets. The second game of the five-match series will start in Birmingham on Wednesday, July 2.

During a discussion on the Star Sports show 'Game Plan,' Manjrekar was asked whether Pant can carry his form into the second Test.

"I think he will because it seems like he enjoys batting in Test cricket. Any batter who gets two hundreds in a Test match, it takes a lot out of you mentally, not so much physically, getting a hundred in the first innings, and 48 hours later, you have the same kind of reserve to get another hundred. So that is a hallmark of an exceptional player," the former India batter responded. "Rishabh Pant enjoys Test matches. He has not got enough runs. So he is hungry. I see Pant carrying his form, but there is another senior batter in the team, who now has got no choice but to carry his form right through the series. Indian cricket needs him badly, and KL Rahul cannot be a one-hundred wonder or a one-Test-match performer," Manjrekar added.

KL Rahul scored 42 runs off 78 deliveries in the first innings and a 247-ball 137 in the second innings in the first Test against England. Rishabh Pant smashed 134 runs off 178 deliveries in the first innings and followed it up with a 140-ball 118 in the second innings.

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"As a batter, sorted" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Shubman Gill ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Shubman Gill scored 147 runs off 227 balls in India's first innings of the first Test against England. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, Sanjay Manjrekar was asked about his advice to Shubman Gill as a batter and a captain heading into the second Test.

"As a batter, sorted. No. 4 makes his job also very easy, and I just hope that he can carry on after getting to a 108 or 120 because now he knows what could happen if he gets out. So that is something he will start doing," he replied.

While highlighting that he shouldn't compare Gill's captaincy with Virat Kohli's, the cricketer-turned-commentator urged the new Indian Test skipper to be slightly more aggressive with his field settings.

"Overcast conditions, I know the ball wasn't doing too much, but they pre-empted the English approach and had a far too defensive a field. I hate to bring Virat Kohli as a comparison because it's unfair on the young man, but you can just imagine Virat Kohli in that situation," Manjrekar elaborated. "Whether they would have got wickets or not, he would have come showing the opposition that he is going to try and get you out. Gill is not that kind of a personality nor that kind of captain. You can't win Test matches in just one way, but maybe not go so defensive pre-empting things in cricket," he added.

India failed to defend a 371-run target in the first Test against England. Ben Duckett (149 off 170) and Zak Crawley (65 off 126) stitched together a 188-run opening partnership before Joe Root (53* off 84) took the hosts over the line in Jamie Smith's (44* off 55) company.

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Edited by Kartik Iyer