"Like somebody from the past that's come to the present" - Sanjay Manjrekar praises Sarfaraz Khan's batting against spin on Day 1 of 3rd IND-ENG Test

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar praised debutant Sarfaraz Khan's old-fashioned batting against spin in his maiden Test innings on Day 1 of the third Test against England.

After being selected in the squad for the second Test, Sarfaraz finally featured in the playing XI, replacing Shreyas Iyer. Sarfaraz came to bat in the final session on Day 1 and immediately showcased his incredible ability against spin by scoring a 48-ball half-century.

Speaking on ESPN Cricinfo at stumps on Day 1, Manjrekar was impressed by Sarfaraz's ability to milk the spinners at will [0:23].

"Exceptional. Just the way he batted was like somebody from the past that's come to the present with the way he played spin. It was a sight for the sore eyes, his judgment of length and the way he manuveared the good balls when most young batters would just block and build up dot balls. But he was taking the singles , superb against spin and has the backfoot play as well," said Manjrekar.

Sarfaraz was unfortunately run out in a horrible mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja for 62 off 66 deliveries at the fag end of the day.

The Mumbai batter has been in exceptional form in first-class cricket, scoring a sensational 161 in his most recent innings before the ongoing Test against the England Lions.

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"He looks gifted against spin" - Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar continued praising Sarfaraz Khan's ability against spin and felt even the lofted shots were never pre-meditated.

The 26-year-old has set the domestic circuit on fire over the past few years, averaging almost 70 in his 45-game first-class career.

"Even when he lofted the spin, it wasn't pre-planned. He went towards the ball and at the last minute decided to hit the ball in the air so it was more like a chip shot. He looks gifted against spin and is very old-fashioned in the way he plays. Also, watching players like Sarfaraz, Prithvi Shaw, who are from Mumbai roots, gives the impression that they've played a million balls in their life," said Manjrekar [1:02].

Manjrekar also credited Sarfaraz for overcoming the initial examination against the pace of Mark Wood [1:40].

"Like how he started as well because that was the real test. Sarfaraz was in the team because there was a lot of spin expected but he had to start off against Mark Wood and a bit of Anderson he had to face yet he didn't put a foot wrong there. Once that was taken care of, spin was always going to be the easier part because he has played much better spinners than these. And him getting run out was a sad moment today," added Manjrekar.

Sarfaraz walked in after skipper Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja had added 204 runs for the third wicket.

While England may have looked to run through the rest of the Indian batting lineup, the debutant had other ideas, as he immediately transferred the pressure back to spinners. His quickfire innings ensured India finished on top at the end of Day 1 at 326/5.