Haren
India’s batting order was quite unique for the first innings of the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium. Partly because of (a failed move) promoting Mohammed Siraj to No 4 as the nightwatchman but also for a perceived tactic of keeping a left hand-right hand combination in the middle. As a result, when Rishabh Pant fell in the first session on Day 3, Ravindra Jadeja walked out to bat ahead of Sarfaraz Khan and it didn’t please Sanjay Manjrekar.
While Jadeja has been one of India’s best batters in Tests recently, the tactical switch pushed Sarfaraz — an out and out batter who had a great first-class record at his home ground in Mumbai — to No 8.
“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,” read Manjrekar’s post on X.
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.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) November 2, 2024
As it turned out however, Sarfaraz’s stay in the middle was shortlived as he fell for a 4-ball duck, dismissed by a ripper of a delivery from Ajaz, gloving it behind to the wicketkeeper.
The former India batter also weighed in on India’s trouble against spin, as Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips triggered a collapse after a good first session for India. “For starters, the batting coach could slowly introduce the Indian batters to the wonders of back foot play against spinners. Will make survival easier, so also run scoring. Barring Pant, all main batters got out to spin while on front foot,” he wrote.
Indian spinners reduced the tourists to 171-9 at stumps on day two of the low-scoring third test in Mumbai on Saturday. New Zealand wiped out a slender 28-run deficit and built up a valuable lead of 143 at the end of another sweltering day. It will be interesting to see if India continue to adopt a similar approach in their 2nd innings when they come out to bat on Sunday, to keep a left-right combination in the middle, as the run-chase is bound to be difficult on a pitch with plenty of turn on offer. Sarfaraz might yet have a crucial part to play if India are to avoid an unprecedented 0-3 defeat at home.
