India vs South Africa: Sanjay Manjrekar Feels it Will be Tough for Rohit Sharma to Retain Test Spot

Former batsman Sanjay Manjrekar feels that Rohit Sharma is on a self-destructive mode and said it will be difficult for him to retain his place in India's Tests squad.(Day 1 Report | Scorecard | Highlights)

"He would be hoping for a second innings and he gets an opportunity to bat and he needs to score to save his Test place. It has come to that situation where the selectors will be thinking hard if Rohit Sharma deserves a Test place," Manjrekar said.

"What goes against him is the way he gets out. Even today, at a crucial juncture trying to hit a bowler for a six and getting out. His game is built on lofted shots. The sixes and big shots are part of his DNA, his basic game.

"What he has struggled to do is rein it in. In England also he got out while playing a big shot. He plays a lot of them in other format of the game. He is almost on self-destruction mode," he said.

Rohit on Thursday got out while looking for a big shot and was caught by Imran Tahir at the long-on off Dane Piedt.

Majrekar was also impressed with off-spinner Piedt and said South Africa made a mistake by not playing the youngster earlier in the four-Test series.

The 25-year-old Piedt, who is playing only his second Test, took four wickets on the opening day of the fourth and final Test and Manjrekar said he is a good find for South Africa.

"Dane Piedt seems to be a good find for South Africa. I think the visitors made a mistake by not playing him earlier in the series. He seems to be an accurate bowler and if there is some purchase for the spinners from the pitch, he can trouble the batsmen," he said.

The 50-year-old Manjrekar also praised the Feroz Shah Kotla pitch.

"I think the Kotla pitch has been the best in the series. There is not as much turn as Mohali and Nagpur and there is some help for the fast bowlers too which was evident with the use of short balls by Morne Morkel," he said.

"The highlight of day-one was the way the visitors bowled. Kyle Abbott bowled with a lot of discipline. He bowled a strict line outside the off-stump."

He was disappointed with India's collapse but praised Ajinkya Rahane for anchoring the Indian innings with an unbeaten 89.

"India once again witnessed a mini-collapse, but it was good to see most of the Indian batsmen looking to apply themselves. Only Rohit Sharma got out to a bad shot. Rest of the batsmen looked to apply themselves," he said.

"Ajinkya Rahane was the star for India and he controlled the innings. If he goes on to score a century, it will be the first individual hundred of this series."