India vs New Zealand: Sarfaraz Khan delivered a fearless, counter-attacking knock, often displaying bold disregard for the opposition bowlers, as he reached his century in just 110 balls.
Source: NDTV
Sarfaraz Khan reached a significant milestone in his cricket journey on Saturday, as the Mumbai batsman smashed his maiden Test century for India during a critical moment in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. Sarfaraz played a fearless, counter-attacking innings, often showing bold disregard for the New Zealand bowlers, reaching his century in just 110 balls. Thanks to his ton and Rishabh Pant’s half-century, India is well-positioned to set a competitive target for New Zealand in the fourth innings.
Former Indian cricket star Sanjay Manjrekar had an intriguing take on Sarfaraz Khan’s impressive innings. “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,” Manjrekar wrote on X. Notably, Manjrekar, like Sachin Tendulkar, represented Mumbai at the national level during his playing career.
Love how Sarfaraz Khan is giving the finger to the ‘Mumbai school of batting’ 😉
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) October 19, 2024
Finally, it’s all about runs & boy he knows how to get those! 👏👏👏#INDvNZ
Sanjay Manjrekar expressed his admiration for Sarfaraz Khan’s bold batting style with a tweet: “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.”
Earlier, Manjrekar had predicted India’s strong comeback despite being bowled out for 46 in the first innings. He tweeted, “If I were NZ, I would be slightly worried with India’s strong reply. This Indian team has a great knack of coming back. Only recently SA needed 30 off 30 balls in the WT20 finals, remember that comeback? #INDvNZ.”
If I were NZ, I would be slightly worried with India’s strong reply. This Indian team has a great knack of coming back. Only recently SA needed 30 off 30 balls in the WT20 finals, remember that comeback? #INDvNZ
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) October 18, 2024
Sanjay Manjrekar had earlier expressed his concerns for New Zealand, tweeting, “If I were NZ, I would be slightly worried with India’s strong reply. This Indian team has a great knack of coming back. Only recently SA needed 30 off 30 balls in the WT20 finals, remember that comeback? #INDvNZ.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s top-order batter Rachin Ravindra expressed relief after the team managed to dismiss Virat Kohli off the final ball of the third day. Kohli (70) and Sarfaraz Khan (70 not out) had formed a solid 136-run partnership, taking India to 231 for three at stumps in the opening Test. Kohli’s wicket, claimed by Glenn Phillips and caught by Tom Blundell, offered a much-needed respite for New Zealand.
Ravindra acknowledged the significance of Kohli’s dismissal, saying, “It’s pretty hard to crystal-ball gaze into the future. It’s a quality batting line-up on a wicket that’s not doing too much, so it’s important for us to hold our lines and lengths for long periods. But I think Kohli’s wicket at the end was very important.”
He further added, “Obviously, he’s a guy who has scored 9,000-plus Test runs, which is pretty mind-blowing, but for us, it was a huge wicket. We know things happen quickly in this part of the world, so, hopefully, we can stick at it and get a few wickets in the morning.”
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