Manjrekar, Irfan clash over Kohli-Jaiswal run-out in Boxing day test

NEW DELHI: The Boxing Day Test in Melbourne took an intense turn on Day 2 when Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal miscommunication led to a disastrous run-out. The incident, which left India struggling at three wickets down for just six runs, sparked a fiery debate between cricket commentators Sanjay Manjrekar and Irfan Pathan.

The run-out happened when Jaiswal played a shot to mid-on and called for a single. Kohli hesitated, looking back instead of responding immediately. Both players ended up at the same end, resulting in Jaiswal walking back to the pavilion. With the Indian team trailing by 310 runs and five wickets down, the blame game began.

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Sanjay Manjrekar was quick to pinpoint Kohli’s hesitation as the critical error. He stated, “The striker has hit the ball behind you. As a non-striker, you shouldn’t be ball-watching and looking behind. You just need to respond to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s call. Just because it is Virat Kohli, we are looking at what might have been his thought process. The call is not with the non-striker. If the call would have been bad, then Pat Cummins would have taken a throw at the non-striker’s end.”

Irfan Pathan countered with a different perspective, arguing, “There is one more fact to it. If someone has played a cut, the call is with the non-striker, but the striker can also refuse to take the run.”

The exchange grew heated, with Manjrekar retorting, “If you don’t want to let me talk, it’s alright.” Pathan held his ground, replying, “This is not about sacchai aur jhoot (truth and falsehood). This is an opinion.”

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Manjrekar added, “Irfan Pathan’s new interpretation of whether it is a run or not should be added to the coaching manual,” to which Pathan fired back, “You’re not giving the right example.”

Adding another layer to the discussion, Manjrekar speculated that Kohli’s dismissal later in the innings could have stemmed from guilt over the run-out. He observed, “Kohli’s dismissal probably also down to the guilt he had inside his heart over Jaiswal’s run-out. He was leaving outside-off deliveries until then but lost his concentration after the run-out incident.”

As India grapples with a massive deficit against Australia, the debate over who bears the responsibility for the run-out continues to dominate conversations both on and off the field.