Sanjay Manjrekar did not hold back in criticizing the Indian management for sending Sarfaraz Khan in at No. 8
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar did not hold back in criticizing the Indian management for sending Sarfaraz Khan in at No. 8 during the third and final Test against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
On Day 2, after Rishabh Pant was dismissed, Ravindra Jadeja came out to bat before Sarfaraz. While the management likely made this decision to keep the right-left batting combination, Manjrekar felt it was not a sensible move. He highlighted that Sarfaraz Khan is in great form, having scored 150 runs in the second innings of the first Test held in Bengaluru.
Manjrekar also noted that Sarfaraz is quite skilled against spin, making the decision to send him lower in the batting order even more confusing.
“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. Sarfraz now walking in at no 8! Poor call by India,” Manjrekar wrote on X.
India were bowled out for 263, finishing with a 28-run lead in the first innings. Shubman Gill scored an impressive 90 runs, Rishabh Pant contributed a quick 60, and Washington Sundar remained unbeaten on 38.
However, it’s puzzling why Sundar is batting at 8 or 9 in a lineup that has struggled for runs throughout the series. Ajaz Patel was exceptional, taking five wickets after lunch, and now the pitch is becoming increasingly spin-friendly.
At the time of writing this report, New Zealand are at 44 for 3 in their second innings, with a 16-run lead. The Indian bowlers have delivered some brilliant performances, with Akash Deep, Washington Sundar, and Ravichandran Ashwin each taking one wicket so far.
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