'India were a bit hard done by weather gods': Manjrekar on change in pitch conditions in Manchester

New Delhi, July 25 Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar while analysing the change in pitch dynamics on Day 2 of the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and stated that India were "bit hard done by the weather gods" as the "pitch eased up and the skies cleared" during England innings.

India were bowled out for 358 in their first innings after Rishabh Pant's couregous return to the crease despite a fractured foot. In reply, England’s openers Ben Duckett (94)and Zak Crawley (84) gave England a flying start with a 166-run opening stand.

Both the opener, however, fell short of centuries, dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja and debutant Anshul Kamboj, respectively. England finished the Day 2 at 225/2, with Joe Root (11*) and Ollie Pope (20*) unbeaten at the crease.

"What this tells us is that India were a bit hard done by the weather gods. During their 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.

"Suddenly, it looked like a completely different Test match. England could very well get a big score, because even someone like Jasprit Bumrah found it hard to bowl a wicket-taking delivery on this surface. So yes, India will be glad they got those two wickets when they did,' Majrekar said on Jiohotstar.

Speaking about Kamboj’s bowling in his debut Test, Majrekar added, "I’m very happy for Kamboj — there are clear signs that he has potential. He’s got a simple, repeatable action, but he can’t afford to bowl back of a length or good length at under 130 kph. That’s an area for improvement. To be fair, the pitch also changed dramatically on Day 2, so he didn’t get much help either."

England crickater Jonathan Trott assessed England’s position heading into Day 3 and explained how the toss played a crucial role."This is where the advantage of winning the toss comes in. At the time, it seemed England made the right call — and India batted well in the morning. But in the UK, afternoons tend to be better for batting."

"The pitch on Day 2 and Day 3 at Old Trafford is generally the best to bat on. England will try to capitalise on that tomorrow. But they can’t look too far ahead — the first hour and first session will be key. If India get things right with the new ball, especially with some cloud cover like in the previous mornings, they can claw back into the game," he concluded.

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