Sanjay Manjrekar Criticizes Indian Management's Decision to Bat Sarfaraz Khan at No. 8 Against New Zealand
Unfortunately for Sarfaraz, when he did get the chance to bat, he failed to make an impact, getting out for a duck after just four balls. He misread an Ajaz Patel delivery, resulting in an edge that was caught by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed strong disapproval of the Indian team's decision to send Sarfaraz Khan in at No. 8 during the ongoing third Test match against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Manjrekar’s remarks came after the team opted to send Ravindra Jadeja to bat ahead of Sarfaraz following the dismissal of Rishabh Pant, which he deemed a poor call.
Manjrekar highlighted Sarfaraz’s recent form, emphasizing that he had scored 150 runs in the second innings of the first Test in Bengaluru and has been consistent with three fifties in his first three Tests. He questioned the rationale behind promoting Jadeja over a player who has shown such promise, particularly against spin bowling.
In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Manjrekar wrote, “A guy in form, has 3 fifties in his first 3 Tests, gets 150 in the Bangalore Test, a good player of spin, pushed back in the order to keep left & right combination?? Makes no sense. Sarfaraz now walking in at no. 8! Poor call by India.”
Unfortunately for Sarfaraz, when he did get the chance to bat, he failed to make an impact, getting out for a duck after just four balls. He misread an Ajaz Patel delivery, resulting in an edge that was caught by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.
The second day of the Test began with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant making a strong start, scoring quickly and building a partnership of 96 runs for the fifth wicket before Pant was dismissed for 60. Earlier, on Day 1, Ravindra Jadeja's five-wicket haul had helped restrict New Zealand to 235 runs, but India ended the day struggling at 84/4.
With India having already lost the series after two defeats, Rohit Sharma and the team are under pressure to win at least four out of their remaining six matches to keep their hopes alive for a spot in the World Test Championship final, without relying on the results of other teams.
