Birthday special: Sanjay Manjrekar – Top 3 performances in international cricket
Sanjay Manjrekar’s voice has been a feature on Indian television sets for over a decade now, but people often forget his accomplishments as a batter for the Indian team in the 80s and 90s. The right-handed batter, like his father, was technically adept and batted at various positions for the Indian team, including opening the batter on a few occasions. On the occasion of his 57th birth anniversary, we look at his best innings for the Indian team.
3. 82 against England, 1990
Headingley hosted the first of two ODIs between hosts England and India in 1990. The visitors won the toss and put in Graham Gooch’s side to bat first. The English batters finished with a par score of 229 runs on the back of half-centuries from David Gower and Allan Lamb. India’s chase was off to a terrible start after losing WV Raman for a two-ball duck. Sanjay Manjrekar joined Navjot Sidhu at the crease as the pair consolidated for the visitors as the former scored a resilient 82 and his partnership with skipper Mohammad Azharuddin proved vital in taking India home with two overs and four wickets to spare.
2. 113* against Pakistan, 1989
Sanjay Manjrekar, throughout his career, liked playing against arch-rivals Pakistan. It was the case when India faced Pakistan in the first Test of the four-match series in Karachi. Pakistan scored 409 runs in their first innings, thanks to a masterful century by skipper Imran Khan. India in their reply could only manage 262 runs. The hosts scored 305 runs in the second innings and set India a target of 453 runs to chase. Manjrekar registered a defiant unbeaten ton in the fourth innings to save the match, which ended in a draw.
- 218 against Pakistan, 1989
The third Test of the same series saw India travel to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. After the opening two matches ended in a stalemate, both teams were looking to open their accounts in the series. India took on the initiative by opting to bat first after winning the toss but were rocked early after losing both the openers in the first two overs of the match. But Sanjay Manjrekar rose to the occasion and scored a double century against a bowling lineup that consisted of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Abdul Qadir. Manjrekar’s innings along with complimentary half-centuries from Mohammad Azharuddin and Ravi Shastri, helped India post a mammoth score of 509, as the match fizzled out in another draw.-
