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NEW DELHI: Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has voiced frustration over the timing of a dramatic shift in weather and pitch conditions that appeared to tilt Day 2 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford in England’s favour, saying “India were bit hard done by the weather gods.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!After posting a fighting 358, with a courageous 54 from Rishabh Pant, India saw their bowlers struggle under clearer skies and an easing surface, as Ben Duckett (94) and Zak Crawley (84) stitched a 166-run opening stand for the hosts. England finished 225/2, with Joe Root and Ollie Pope looking settled at stumps.
Speaking on JioCinema, Manjrekar highlighted how different the pitch looked compared to Day 1.“During India’s batting, there were dark grey clouds, some moisture — it looked like a black-and-white movie at one point. But today, the pitch really eased up and the skies cleared,” he noted.
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“Suddenly, it looked like a completely different Test match. Even someone like Jasprit Bumrah found it hard to bowl a wicket-taking delivery.”Manjrekar acknowledged the importance of dismissing both openers before stumps but hinted that England could now press on with a big total.He also assessed the debut of pacer Anshul Kamboj, who removed Duckett for his maiden Test wicket.“I’m very happy for Kamboj — there are clear signs that he has potential. But he can’t afford to bowl back of a length at under 130 kph. The pitch didn’t help him either today.”Former England batter Jonathan Trott echoed the sentiment that England benefitted from better batting conditions, adding, “In the UK, afternoons are generally better for batting. The toss mattered. England will look to capitalise, but India could still fight back if morning conditions favour their seamers again.”
