'England broke the taboo' - Manjrekar praises historic chase against India in Headingley

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has praised England's batting approach for breaking the long-held belief in Test cricket that chasing a big total in the final innings is nearly impossible. On Day 5 of the first Test against India at Headingley, in Leeds, the hosts chased down a target of 371 to win the match by five wickets in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Manjrekar lauded the Ben Stokes-led side for challenging traditional Test match wisdom and executing a successful chase. The opener Ben Duckett starred in the run chase with a brilliant 149, helping England secure their second-highest successful run chase in Test history.

“Hats off to this England side led by Ben Stokes. They've taken what used to be a taboo in Test cricket, that chasing 250 or 300-plus in the final innings is near impossible and completely turned it on its head. Regardless of pitch conditions or pressure, they've looked that belief in the face and said, We're going to think differently. They've begun treating those targets as achievable,” Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.

“And guess what, even on Day 5, it's the fielding team that ends up feeling more pressure, because now, they're the ones who have to ensure a win. That's the mental shift. Once you start challenging long-standing beliefs and inherited wisdom, you then need the kind of batters we saw today to actually pull it off. Joe Root, of course, is always there when England are chasing down something big,” he added.

Sanjay Manjrekar acknowledged that Duckett and Zak Crawley laid a solid foundation for the chase with their confident play. He noted that although the Indian seamers gave their all, the pitch offered little assistance, making it difficult for them to make breakthroughs.

“But the platform was set beautifully by Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley. Unfortunately for India, I have to say, the pitch went completely flat during the morning session. Bumrah gave it everything, so did the other seamers, but the surface just went to sleep. Suddenly, it started playing like an Arun Jaitley Stadium day-five pitch, completely dead. And that's what made India's job of winning the game so much harder,” the former India cricketer continued.

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Joe Root is one of all time greats: Manjrekar

Manjrekar also reflected on Joe Root’s unbeaten 53-run match-winning knock during the chase. He praised Root as one of the greats of the game by emphasizing that while many players might have struggled, Root stood firm at the crease and held the fort for his team.

"This is something he's made a habit of, even in another format. In 50-over cricket recently, he played a brilliant innings where he remained 160 not out in a big run chase, and the next-best contribution in that innings was around 50 or 60. That's Joe Root, one of the all-time greats. It's always good to see players like Joe Root and Kane Williamson in Test cricket. We don't get to watch them enough in this part of the world, and when we do, we're reminded of the calibre of batters operating around the globe,” Manjrekar said.

Manjrekar appreciated the mastery Root displayed on the crucial final day and noted that his calm presence at the crease not only showcased his class but also helped ease the nerves of the other England players.

"A couple of years ago, Williamson played some all-time great Test innings, and here was Root once again giving us a glimpse of his mastery, how easily he saw England through. They had just lost Ben Stokes. If India had managed to get Root at that point, there would've been a bit of clutter and panic in the England camp. But Joe Root, he has his roots firmly embedded in the pitch. It's very hard to dislodge him once he's set. That's what makes him so special,” he concluded.