Former Indian cricketer and pundit Sanjay Manjrekar singled out Indian batsman Sarfaraz Khan for special praise, after Day 3 of the first Test between India and New Zealand. Sarfaraz scored his half-century in over a run-a-ball and then ended the day unbeaten with 70 off 78 balls. Manjrekar heaped praise on him and compared him to legendary Pakistani batsman Javed Miandad. Manjrekar praised Sarfaraz’s approach to batting, be it offensive or defensive, and compared him to a ‘2024 version of Javed Miandad’.

On Day 4, Sarfaraz Khan hit his maiden Test ton in just 110 balls.

“Sarfaraz reminds me of a Javed Miandad from the 1980s, but this is a 2024 version of a Javed Miandad,” Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo’s YouTube channel.

“Really impressed with the way he played. We know he plays good spin but I liked the way he played fast bowlers,” Manjrekar added.

Miandad boasts over 16,000 international runs for Pakistan across Tests and ODIs, with a particularly impressive Test average of 52.57, meaning Manjrekar has high praise for Sarfaraz.

Sarfaraz had a tough start to the Test as he looked for a duck in India’s collapse to 46 all out. However, after replacing the injured Shubman Gill in the side, Sarfaraz impressed in the second innings as India tried to bounce back.

Manjrekar praised Sarfaraz’s game awareness, especially towards the end of the day.

“Towards the end of the day he wanted to play defense and he wanted bad light when actually there was bright light. I loved the way he dove at the bouncers and just tried to play all day so he had that game too and that augurs well for India and Sarfaraz Khan for Australia because he has shown that element of batting as well,” Manjrekar further said.

Sarfaraz formed a 136-run partnership with Virat Kohli in the second innings before the latter departed on the last ball of day 3.