World Cup 2019: ''He was looking for me, I wasn't there,'' says Sanjay Manjrekar as he responds to Ravindra Jadeja's gesture

What's the matter?

Indian commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has been on the receiving end for his recent remarks against Ravindra Jadeja. The former Indian cricketer, however, gave a cheeky response to the all-rounder's sword celebration after the latter reached a half-century in the semi-final against New Zealand as part of the World Cup 2019.

In case you didn't know

Sanjay Manjrekar had earlier called Ravindra Jadeja a "bits and pieces" cricketer. Voicing his opinion on the all-rounder, Manjrekar had said, "I am not a big fan of bits and pieces players which Jadeja is at this point of his career in 50-over cricket. In Test matches, he is a pure bowler. But in 50-over cricket, I would rather have a batsman and a spinner."

The comments though didn't go down well with Ravindra Jadeja. Taking to Twitter, the left-hander minced no words as he hit back at Manjrekar with a scathing attack. Opining that Manjrekar should learn to respect the people who have achieved, Jadeja said that he had heard enough of his (Manjrekar's) "verbal diarrhoea".

The heart of the matter

The first semi-final of World Cup 2019 saw Ravindra Jadeja put forth a brilliant all-round performance on the field. Making significant contributions with bat, ball and in the field, the talented all-rounder was on fire for his teamin crunch situations.

Notably, after reaching his half-century, Jadeja acknowledged the landmark with his trademark sword-wielding celebration. However, what caught the attention was his gesture towards the commentary box, which might have been aimed at Manjrekar.

Responding to the same, Manjrekar, in a video posted by the ICC, jokingly said, "Forgive me, I wasn't there. I have to apologise. He was looking for me but I wasn't there."

The commentator was also all praise for Jadeja's all-round show in the game. "By bits and piece of sheer brilliance, he proved me wrong on all fronts," Manjrekar said while recognising his efforts with bat and ball.

What's Next?

Despite Ravindra Jadeja's counter attacking half-century, India could not chase down the 240-run target against New Zealand that saw the Virat Kohli-led side bow out of the tournament.

England and Australia are all set to lock in battle for the second semifinal on 11th July that will decide who will play New Zealand in the all-important final on 14th July at Lord's, London.

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