ENG vs IND: Indian batters dominated the proceedings on Day 1 of the first Test against England at Headingley. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul got the visitors off to a flying start, adding 91 runs for the opening wicket. While Rahul fell short of his half-century, young Jaiswal notched up a brilliant hundred in his debut Test innings in England.
Captain Shubman Gill led by example and scored his maiden Test century outside Asia. He joined an elite club of Indian players who smashed a hundred on their Test captaincy debut. Vice-captain Rishabh Pant also batted sensibly and scored a fine half-century as the tourists finished Day 1 at 359/3 in Leeds.
© X/BCCI
Barring debutant B Sai Sudharsan, who departed for a four-ball duck, the other batters showed great composure at the crease, especially the two openers, batting for nearly 25 overs.
Leaving the ball outside off stump is among the most challenging things for any batter in English conditions. However, the duo did that admirably after being put into bat.
Naturally, cricket pundits and fans were highly impressed with the application of both the openers as they didn’t allow their natural attacking instincts to take over.
Most likely Sanjay Manjrekar was pointing towards Virat Kohli. Now even it doesn’t matter what Kohli would’ve done. But Mr. Manjrekar sitting as a commentator doesn’t have any right to put his personal opinion. His job is to commentary on the live play.
— abhay singh (@abhaysingh_13) June 21, 2025
This seems to be a… pic.twitter.com/XRPv01ddwT
Impressed by KL Rahul leaving the outside off-stump deliveries consistently, Sanjay Manjrekar couldn’t help but heap praise on the batter. However, in doing so, he unnecessarily dragged a former cricketer into the mix, who has retired from the game.
Even though he didn’t utter any name, many fans felt that he was referring to Virat Kohli, who had gotten out on numerous occasions, throwing his bat at outside-off stump deliveries.
"These two have been leaving these deliveries very well. We know a former batter who would have gone after it and got himself into trouble but not these two."
— Baba Krishna Mohan Rebbapragada (@cricketluvers) June 21, 2025
... Mr Sanjay Manjrekar
Seriously, what's his constant need to jab at cricketing legends? It's like he gets some… pic.twitter.com/G1hmlrZZOM
“Deliveries outside the off stump, full, have been left alone. Jaiswal has done that. Anything that has been pitched right up into the stumps, he has driven. Anything that has been wide, he has looked to score on. KL Rahul has not touched one delivery or attempted to play one single delivery that's been full, just outside off," Manjrekar said on air.
“We know of a former batter who would have gone after that delivery and got himself into trouble. But not these two,” he added.
Many fans felt that his comments weren’t warranted now that Kohli has called time on his Test career. He is one of the greatest batters of all time and certainly deserves respect.
© X/BCCI
“Seriously, what's his constant need to jab at cricketing legends? It's like he gets some twisted enjoyment out of making those snide remarks,” wrote one angry fan.
“Every single cricketer, even the all-time greats, has their moments of brilliance and their struggles. And when they hit a rough patch, sometimes even their signature shots can betray them. That perfect boundary-scoring shot suddenly becomes a fine edge to the slips. It's just how the game goes.
“Someone needs to realise that's the reality of professional cricket. And honestly, judging a player based on one match is ridiculous. You really need to look at their performance over a significant period, like 50+ Test matches, to get a true picture of their career and its greatness,” he concluded.
Ayo on 20.5, KL Rahul left a wide length ball outside off and Sanjay Manjrekar literally said
— Bakri Player (@91_of_79) June 20, 2025
"We know a former batter who would have gone after it and got himself into trouble but not these two"
And I'm genuinely not joking. Someone pls post the video. Unreal disrespect for…
Did Sanjay Manjrekar really mocked Kohli on air ?
— Gaurav Singh (@loggerheads36) June 21, 2025
Man !! What kind of person you are sanjay? He literally is one of the best players of your country and He deserves respect!! You on the other hand were shit in your Career.
Atleast talk responsibly while commentating!
Sanjay Manjrekar 🎙️- “We know of a former batter who would have gone after that delivery and gotten himself into trouble”
— BoyLovesCricket (@boylovescricket) June 20, 2025
No way he just said this on air about Kohli😭 The man has retired. Please leave him alone now🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️#INDvsENG #ViratKohli #sanjaymanjrekar pic.twitter.com/G8TX46G4XT
Cricket is a game of risk and reward. Sometimes batters have their say, sometimes they don’t. Not always do things go their way. Kohli’s cover drives were no different. He amassed plenty of runs by driving deliveries bowled outside off stump. When it worked out well, it was a treat to the eyes; if not, it brought criticism.
