Sanjay Manjrekar Compares Rohit Sharma to MS Dhoni After Third Test Day Against New Zealand

Former cricketer and now commentator, , has drawn comparisons between Team India captain Rohit Sharma and former captain MS Dhoni after Rohit scored a half-century on the third day of the third Test match between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru.

On day three, India’s batting lineup showed resilience, with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Sarfaraz Khan launching a counter-attack against the New Zealand bowlers. Sarfaraz Khan, who had failed to score in the first innings, redeemed himself by playing an important knock, remaining unbeaten on 70 off 78 balls. His partnership with Kohli added 136 runs for the third wicket, bringing India closer to New Zealand’s lead. Virat Kohli also contributed with 70 runs, before being dismissed by Glenn Phillips at the end of the day’s play.

India had been bowled out for 46 runs in the first innings, and New Zealand capitalized by scoring 401 runs with a lead of 356 runs. However, by the end of day three, India had reduced the lead to 125 runs, scoring 231/3 in their second innings, with Sarfaraz Khan and Rohit Sharma leading the way. Rohit Sharma scored a vital 52 runs off 63 balls.

Manjrekar, impressed by Rohit’s performance, shared his thoughts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where he compared Rohit’s leadership with that of MS Dhoni. He stated, “Dhoni had this very unique ability to preempt & make a bowling change before the damage went out of control. Rohit needs to bring that quality into his leadership.”

In the first innings, New Zealand’s Devon Conway missed his century by just 9 runs, while Rachin Ravindra played a remarkable innings of 134 runs. Veteran fast bowler Tim Southee also contributed with a crucial 65 runs, helping New Zealand reach 402/10 and taking control of the match.

As the match heads into day four, India will rely on Sarfaraz Khan and the remaining batsmen to close the gap and potentially build a lead over New Zealand. With Rohit Sharma‘s leadership under scrutiny, the team’s performance in the final stages of the match will be closely watched.