Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar heaped praise on Sarfaraz Khan after his maiden Test hundred helped India come out of the doldrums against New Zealand in the first Test in Bengaluru on Saturday.
The 26-year-old has waited for a long time to receive his India cap. While he relished it with a couple of fifites in the home series against England earlier this year, Sarfaraz was out from the playing XI during last month’s Test series against Bangladesh.
The Mumbaikar responded with a double hundred in the Irani Cup before replacing an injured Shubman Gill in the ongoing clash against the Kiwis. Putting a first-innings blob behind him with an innings replete of uncharacteristic shot-making comprising late cuts, upper-cuts and slog-sweeps, Sarfaraz reached his maiden Test ton in only 110 balls.
Leading the applause for Sarfaraz was Manjrekar, who commended his style, uncommon for a cricketer from the Mumbai cricketing circles, typically known for their ‘khadoos’ batting.
Love how Sarfaraz Khan is giving the finger to the ‘Mumbai school of batting’ 😉
Finally, it’s all about runs & boy he knows how to get those! 👏👏👏#INDvNZ— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) October 19, 2024
“Love how Sarfaraz Khan is giving the finger to the ‘Mumbai school of batting’. Finally, it’s all about runs & boy he knows how to get those,” Manjrekar wrote on X.
On Friday, Manjrekar had likened Sarfaraz to a 2024 vesion of legendary Pakistan batter, Javed Miandad.
“The talking point has to be Sarfaraz Khan, because he reminds me of a Javed Miandad in the 1980s, but this is the 2024 version of a Javed Miandad. Really impressed with the way he played, we know that he plays spin well, but the way he played the fast bowlers, towards the end of the day’s play, when he was playing defensively, and he was wanting bad light when there was actually bright light,” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo after Day 3’s play.
“I love the way that he was ducking into bouncers, and was trying to play the day out. He has that game as well, that augers well for India and Sarfaraz Khan ahead of the series against Australia,” he added.
Replying to New Zealand’s first-innings lead of 356, India lost openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal before Sarfaraz forged a potent counter alongwith Virat Kohli, adding 136 runs in 27 overs.
