Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar did not hold back in his criticism of the Indian team management for their decision to send Sarfaraz Khan to bat at No.8 during the ongoing third and final Test match against New Zealand at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The first session of Day 2 saw Ravindra Jadeja stepping out to bat ahead of Sarfaraz Khan following the dismissal of Rishabh Pant. While the management may have opted for Jadeja to maintain the right-left combination, Manjrekar found this decision perplexing.
In his scathing assessment, Sanjay Manjrekar highlighted Sarfaraz Khan's recent impressive form, particularly noting his remarkable 150-run innings in the second Test match in Bengaluru. Emphasizing Khan's proficiency against spin bowling, Manjrekar expressed bewilderment at the choice to place him lower in the batting order.
"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 (formerly Twitter).
Sarfaraz Khan was unable to score in the first innings. He was dismissed for a duck after struggling to read the line and bounce of a delivery from Ajaz Patel.
Sarfaraz attempted a defensive prod, but the ball grazed his glove before being caught by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell. The 27-year-old's innings lasted only four balls.
The second day of the Test began positively, with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant aggressively scoring runs. The pair added 96 runs for the fifth wicket before Pant was dismissed by Ish Sodhi for 60 in the 38th over.
On Day 1, Ravindra Jadeja's five-wicket haul helped India bowl out New Zealand for 235. India ended the day at 84/4, setting the stage for a crucial third Test.
Having already lost the series, India must now win four of their remaining six matches to secure a spot in the World Test Championship final without relying on other results. Rohit Sharma and his team face a challenging task ahead.
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