Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to Sarfaraz Khan's hundred in 1st IND vs NZ Test 2024 ft. Dinesh Karthik

The cricket fraternity expressed their admiration for Sarfaraz Khan's sensational knock in the ongoing first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. The middle-order batter slammed 159 off 195 balls and helped India gain a strong position during his presence at the crease.

Coming to the middle at 95/2, Sarfaraz stitched a 136-run stand with Virat Kohli (70) to keep the team in good stead. Then, he added 177 runs with Rishabh Pant (99) to eventually help the side set up a target of 107 for New Zealand.

Notably, the 26-year-old made his debut earlier this year against England and recorded an average of 50 in three Tests.

On that note, let's take a look at the top expert reactions to Sarfaraz Khan's impressive knock against New Zealand.

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#1 Dinesh Karthik

In an interaction with Harsha Bhogle on Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik praised Sarfaraz Khan's off-side play against the pacers as well as the spinners. Karthik thinks Sarfaraz will be among the key young batters for the Indian Test team in the next few years.

Karthik said:

"Till the time the duo were batting, the game was slowly slipping out of New Zealand's hands. It was beautiful to see Sarfaraz who played as an aggressor along with Kohli, take the backseat with Pant."

He added:

"When you practice on red soil pitches (Wankhede), you will get a lot of bounce, he has learned to play well against the bounce and you see those shots coming out nicely. Even against spinners, he does it well with his late cut and the ball goes past the slip fielders."

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#2 Basit Ali

Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali lauded the imperious partnership between Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan. According to him, the key to Sarfaraz making an impact early in his international career is him having gone through the grind of domestic cricket.

Here's what Ali said (via his official YouTube channel):

"Privilege to watch Sarfaraz Khan's innings. It was special due to his maiden ton and him proving that the domestic performances help the players to learn to tackle pacers as well as spinners. It was a top-class partnership between him and Rishabh Pant."

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#3 Ian Bishop

Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop has been an avid follower of Indian domestic cricket. Earlier this year, he lauded the Indian selectors for rewarding Sarfaraz with his maiden Test call-up against England due to his impressive form in the domestic circuit.

On Saturday, Bishop took to X to express his delight at Sarfaraz's century and pointed out the Indian team rightfully celebrating the right-hander's achievement. Furthermore, he praised Sarfaraz's never-give-up attitude.

"Absolute delight for Sarfaraz Khan. Loved the way his teammates seemed to enjoy that first test century for him as much as he did. Never gave up and kept working."

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#4 Manoj Tiwary

Former Indian batter Manoj Tiwary hailed Sarfaraz Khan's wide range of shots and termed him a "once-in-a-generation" player. Tiwary also pointed out that the right-hander's strong record in first-class circuit has helped him start his international career on a strong note.

Here's what Tiwary said (via Cricbuzz's YouTube channel):

"Sarfaraz Khan is a once-in-a-generation player due to his immense talent. He has a wide range of shots like drive, late cut, scoops, sweeps."

"His 10 years of experience in first-class cricket of scoring a truckload of runs was reflected in his knock," he added.

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#5 David Warner

Former Australian cricketer David Warner heaped praise on Sarfaraz Khan for his impactful knock. Interestingly, both players shared a dressing room while playing for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL.

Warner lauded Sarfaraz's hardwork and shared a post by the Capitals on his Instagram story. His caption read:

"Well done Sarfaraz Khan. So much hard work. Awesome to see this."