Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has supported Sarfaraz Khan to make his Test debut in the upcoming third Test against England in Rajkot, starting on February 15. Sanjay Manjrekar, 58, highlighted Sarfaraz Khan‘s impressive first-class record, where he averages nearly 70, and his proficiency in playing spin as reasons for his selection.
Sanjay Manjrekar also provided insight into why Devdutt Padikkal, who replaced KL Rahul in the squad, is unlikely to find a place in the playing XI. Sarfaraz has scored 3912 runs in 66 first-class innings at an impressive average of 69.85, including 14 centuries and 11 half-centuries. The wicketkeeper-batter showcased his form with scores of 96, 4, 55, and 161 for India A against England Lions.
India has inexperienced batting lineup- Sanjay Manjrekar
On the eve of the Rajkot Test, Sanjay Manjrekar shared his thoughts with ESPNcricinfo,
“Yes, inexperienced batting lineup, but I think the quality that’s needed in this particular series are just Indian batters who play spin well. There’s where you think Sarfaraz Khan suddenly makes his case very strong,”
“I would want Rajat Patidar as the incumbent to take that place at No. 4 and then have Sarfaraz Khan coming at No. 5 only on the basis that he was in the queue before,”
Rajat Patidar who made his Test debut during the second Test looked solid during his stay at the crease but failed to make significant contributions in both the innings.
The form that he’s had over the long term should count for something- Sanjay Manjrekar on Sarfaraz Khan
Sanjay Manjrekar feels that a player’s long-term form should be given more consideration and carry more weight than recent performances, suggesting that Sarfaraz Khan should be preferred over Devdutt Padikkal for the Test team. Manjrekar added,
“The form that he’s had over the long term should count for something and have more weightage than Devdutt Padikkal, who had a great run of late. Enough indication that Sarfaraz Khan would be an interesting batter for India to have to challenge the English spinners. The better player of spin plays,”
“I don’t think Padikkal being a left-hander will just further his case because India have Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Yashasvi Jaiswal,”
On the other hand, Devdutt Padikkal has been in excellent form, scoring 151 and 36 for Karnataka against Tamil Nadu in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. He also scored 193 against Punjab and 103 against Goa.
Devdutt Padikkal also scored 105, 65, and 21 for India A against England Lions. Overall, he has accumulated 2227 runs in 31 first-class games at an average of 44.54, including six centuries and 12 half-centuries.
India should bring in Dhruv Jurel- Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar also advocates for Dhruv Jurel to debut in the third Test against England instead of KS Bharat. Manjrekar believes there’s a brief opportunity before Rishabh Pant returns, prompting the team management to consider another option, especially since Bharat has struggled to perform with the bat.
Bharat has scored 41, 28, 17, and 6 in the first two Tests against England. Overall, he has amassed 221 runs in seven Tests at an average of 20.09 without any half-centuries. Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel has played 15 first-class games, scoring 790 runs at an average of 46.67, which includes one century and five fifties.
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