Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar today turns 55. Manjrekar was born on July 12, 1965, in Mangalore, Mysore. The right-handed batsman made his debut in a Test match against West Indies at Delhi in 1987. He then played his first One-Day International (ODI) in January 1988 against the same opposition. Manjrekar is the son of famous Indian cricketer Vijay Manjrekar. At the beginning of his career, Manjrekar was tipped to be the next big thing in Indian batting, but somehow he could not manage to live upto the expectations. Nonetheless, Manjrekar, in his short career, registered some memorable performances and one of those was against India’s traditional-rivals Pakistan in the 1989 Test series. Sanjay Manjrekar Believes Indian Team During 1990s Was Too Much Dependent on Sachin Tendulkar.

On Manjrekar’s birthday, we take a look back at his performance in the four-match series against Pakistan. The right-handed batsman emerged as the highest run-scorer in the series with 569 runs from four matches at an average of 94.83. Interestingly, all the matches in the series ended in draws and Manjrekar was instrumental in helping India save some matches.

Fourth Innings Century At Karachi

In the first Test at Karachi, set a target of 453 to win, India lost Kris Srikkanth early. Manjrekar along with Navjot Singh Sindhu shared an impressive 213-run stand for the second wicket. The partnership decided Pakistan a victory which looked possible at one stage given India were bundled out for 262 in their first innings in response to Pakistan’s 409.

Manjrekar finished unbeaten as he earned India a respectable draw. The right-hander scored 113 off 243 balls and batted for 350 minutes. During his stay, the then 24-year-old struck 13 boundaries. Sanjay Manjrekar Reveals the First Thing That Comes in His Mind After Hearing Harsha Bhogle

Twin Fifties At Faisalabad

Manjrekar continued his impressive form in the second Test at Faisalabad as he registered two half-centuries in the match. In the first innings, Manjrekar scored fighting 76 off 240 balls while India’s top-order struggled to get going. Apart from his 76, Sachin Tendulkar’s 59 helped India post 288.

After Pakistan gained a first-innings lead of 135 runs, India once again found themselves in a spot of bother when Srikkanth was dismissed early. Manjrekar shared a 58-run stand with Sidhu and then match-saving 158-run partnership with Mohammad Azharuddin. Manjrekar during the stand scored another impressive half-century before being dismissed for 83. The game ended in a draw with India posting 398/7 in their second innings.

Double Century At Lahore

Before the third Test, Manjrekar had already exhibited his class and the fact that he is in good form. Batting first at Lahore, India were left reeling when the visitors lost both the openers with just five runs on board. Azharuddin joined Manjrekar, and the duo added a 149-run stand to take India out of the trouble. Manjrekar then shared a 186-run partnership with Ravi Shastri for the fourth wicket to take India past 300. During this stand, Manjrekar completed his double century before he was run out on an individual score of 218 runs. It remained Manjrekar’s highest-score in Tests as he slammed 28 fours during this knock.

Half-Century At Sialkot

Manjrekar ended the series just like he started it, on a high note. Put to bat on a green top, India were 39/2 when Manjrekar and Azharuddin bailed their side out of the trouble with a 128-run stand. While Azharuddin scored 52, Manjrekar slammed 72 off 127 balls as India posted 324.

Manjrekar last played for India in a home series against South Africa in 1996. He ended up featuring in 37 Tests and 74 ODIs for India. In Tests, Manjrekar scored 2043 runs at an average of 37.14 and scored four centuries and nine half-centuries. In ODIs, he ended up scoring 1994 runs with one century and 15 half-centuries.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 12, 2020 09:33 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).