India’s batting lineup faltered against a resilient New Zealand spin attack on Day 3 of the third Test, with Sarfaraz Khan’s form coming under scrutiny after another underwhelming performance. India, now at 81/6, faces an uphill task to reach their target as Rishabh Pant leads a one-man rescue effort at the Wankhede Stadium.

Sarfaraz Khan’s struggles in spotlight as India’s top order collapses

Sarfaraz Khan’s disappointing scores have added fuel to fan concerns over his place in India’s Test lineup. Selected over seasoned batters like Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, Sarfaraz was expected to bring stability, especially on pitches favoring spinners. However, his recent scores of 11, 9, 0, and 1 across the last two Tests have sparked debate over his inclusion, particularly as he struggled against New Zealand’s spin attack in both innings.

Fans have voiced disappointment, pointing to Sarfaraz’s inability to handle turning tracks—a skillset they feel Iyer, known for his resilience on challenging pitches, could have provided. Critics argue that his inclusion, alongside captain Rohit Sharma, who’s been questioned for his own struggles, reflects an imbalance in selection that leaves India vulnerable on spin-friendly wickets. With India now six down and still trailing in their run chase, Pant’s fight alone may not be enough to overturn this shaky position.

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Pant’s grit and New Zealand’s spin dominance

Amid India’s collapse, Rishabh Pant has shown determination, fighting hard to stabilize the innings. Pant’s aggression against the New Zealand spinners kept the scoreboard ticking, with crucial boundaries keeping India’s hopes alive. His spirited 55 off 56 deliveries brought some relief to the team, but with little support from the other end, India remains in a challenging position. As Washington Sundar joins him after lunch, fans are hoping the pair can pull off a miracle chase.

New Zealand’s spinners, particularly Ajaz Patel, have been impressive, exploiting India’s vulnerabilities on the turning Wankhede pitch. Patel, who broke the partnership by removing Ravindra Jadeja for just six runs, has been instrumental in breaking India’s top order, and the Black Caps’ spinners continue to keep India under constant pressure. In the early sessions, Patel and Rachin Ravindra dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan, putting the visiting team on the back foot early on.

As Day 3 continues, India’s chances rest heavily on Pant’s shoulders. If Pant and Sundar can build a resilient stand, India may still have a fighting chance, but any further wickets could put New Zealand firmly in command and expose India’s vulnerability to quality spin—a factor that has haunted their performance in this series.

 

.@ShreyasIyer15 continues to impress as he led the counter-attack for 🇮🇳 by scoring a well-crafted 8⃣7️⃣ 🤩

📹 Watch the highlights of his innings here 🏏#ShreyasIyer #BANvIND #SonySportsNetwork pic.twitter.com/ZKJ1RSyNwZ

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) December 23, 2022

Sarfaraz Khan playing on flat tracks in Mumbai and averaging like Bradman have made general audience believe he is next big thing.

I am saying it again, Sanju Samson who plays on testing wickets in Kerala will be more useful than him in Red ball.#INDvNZpic.twitter.com/SWJGJ01kO5

— Anurag™ (@Samsoncentral) November 3, 2024

Imagine the level of politics that This one innings wonder Sarfaraz Khan Replaced KL Rahul 🤡🤡#INDvsNZ pic.twitter.com/LVaNHnDxB1

— 𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙪 ✨ (@KLfied_) November 3, 2024

The biggest downfall for Indian cricket is that Rohit Sharma & Sarfaraz Khan are playing test cricket for India, and Our selfless captain Rohit Sharma is playing only on the captaincy quota, and players like Shreyas lyer & KL Rahul are not playing just because of these two. pic.twitter.com/578BUkZQEZ

— Pick-up Shot (@96ShreyasIyer) November 3, 2024

Shreyas Iyer used to rescue Indian from these collapses on spin tracks and Indian team dropped him for this flat pitch bully Sarfaraz Khan, who looked incredibly clueless when ball started to turn in last 2 tests.

Sarfaraz in last 2 tests - 11, 9, 0, 1.pic.twitter.com/Ugo2MrWNRA

— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) November 3, 2024

Petition to drop Sarfaraz khan from test cricket 🙏 he can only score in Ranji. Like this tweet and I will give 1000 Rupees to everyone 🌟#sarfrazkhan #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/uBtUJQCbgT

— Ashish (@SirAshu2002) November 3, 2024

Rohit Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal
All them failed but only KL Rahul got dropped i don't know why #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/tCGrEH4uoW

— Chase (@holopoem_3) November 3, 2024

Another PR merchant ~Sarfaraz Khan #Ind pic.twitter.com/idWjQfhBqF

— कृष्णा 🥀 (@Unfunny_Thor) November 2, 2024

Sarfaraz khan #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/GpGp9tZEjg

— Pulkit (@PulkitK107) November 3, 2024