'Sarfaraz Khan was dumped': Sanjay Manjrekar blasts Gambhir, Rohit for batter’s poor treatment

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed concerns over how domestic players like Sarfaraz Khan and Abhimanyu Easwaran are being treated by selectors in Australia. Sanjay Manjrekar stated that Sarfaraz Khan should not have been "dumped" for KL Rahul in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The Men in Blue suffered a 1-3 defeat against Australia in the recently concluded five-match Test series. Sarfaraz Khan and Abhimanyu Easwaran didn't get chances in Australia. However, the team management played youngsters like Devdutt Padikkal, Nitesh Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel, and Harshit Rana.

That's Not a Good Way to Look at Things - Sanjay Manjrekar

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out that people were prematurely writing off Easwaran based on his performance in a warm-up game, which he felt was an unfair approach. Manjrekar said that selectors should be more patient and observant before making such judgments.

"When we had that chat before the first test, I said that it shouldn't be as straightforward a decision which Sarfraz Khan taken away and KL Rahul put in. I think there was a lot of preemption, a lot of people were playing God with Abhimanyu Easwaran and watching him in a warm-up game and thinking that he's not going to be getting a run. I think that's not a good way to look at things because cricket springs you surprises, Sanjay Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.

Sarfaraz Khan has impressed with his performances in domestic cricket, maintaining an exceptional first-class average of around 65. He has scored 371 runs at an average of 37.10 in six Tests. However, the Indian team management chose to go with Dhruv Jurel over him in the first Test against Australia in Perth.

England is Going to Be a Completely Different Challenge - Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out that players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who may perform well on Indian pitches or in the Ranji Trophy, will face a much greater challenge in England. Manjrekar emphasized that if players like Kohli and Sharma are serious about performing overseas, they should be out there.

"Even if Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma get runs on Indian pitches, Ranji Trophy, England is going to be a completely different challenge," Manjrekar stated.

"So I want to see them, if they're serious about it, to be out there and then the selectors watch and they see something happening, something's changed and there is a possibility that we will see a different performance."

Sarfaraz Khan Was Rewarded for His Tremendous Record - Sanjay Manjrekar

Manjrekar expressed disappointment over how Sarfaraz Khan was treated despite his impressive domestic record. Manjrekar said that it was unfair to drop Sarfaraz, even if he might not have been suited to certain pitches.

"Sarfaraz Khan was rewarded for his tremendous record at the first-class level. He got three 50s and 150, but then got out terribly in the next test. But then he was completely dumped. I don't think that's quite right," Manjrekar said.

"Even if you feel that Sarfaraz Khan might not succeed on these kinds of pitches, what if he had found a way to get runs, with the third man being his main scoring area? I mean, it was a revelation how he played against England. So let's not try and play God too much, maybe just watch a little bit, be concerned about how they'll shape up at the highest level. But you've got to reward people who've got runs."

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