Sarfaraz Khan's prolonged wait for an India debut finally ended in the third Test against England on Thursday, February 15 in Rajkot. Sarfaraz scored a blistering 62 runs off 66 balls before being run out, after taking England bowlers to the cleaners. He also struck the joint-second fastest fifty on debut for India in Tests to be placed alongside Hardik Pandya.
Skipper Rohit Sharma's resilient innings of 131 runs from 196 deliveries, coupled with a dazzling century from all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (110* off 212 balls) along with Sarfaraz Khan's lightning fifty propelled Team India to a commanding total of 326/5 at the close of play on Day 1 of the third Test against England.
Reward after years of toil?
After his dream debut Sarfaraz Khan talked his heart out in the press-conference following Day 1 of the third Test between India and England.
"Felt really good. My father was with me. I came to the ground for the first time. It was his dream that he wanted to see me play in the Indian team.
Anxiety," Sarfaraz Khan said.
Sarfaraz Khan opens up on horrible run-out
During the third Test match between India and England, Indian batsman Sarfaraz Khan experienced an unfortunate run-out in his debut match for Team India, which was a result of Ravindra Jadeja's error. Jadeja initially called for a single and advanced a few steps but then decided against it. By this time, Sarfaraz had already made it halfway down the pitch. The ball was swiftly fielded by Mark Wood, who made a direct hit at the stumps, leaving Sarfaraz with no chance to make it back to the crease. He was out for 62 runs off 66 balls. The incident led to Indian captain Rohit Sharma expressing his dismay by tossing his cap in the dressing room.
Sarfaraz on the disastrous run-out said,"There was miscommunication. I said this happens. There is nothing big about it. It is ok. It is part of the game. It happens."
Sarfaraz, all praise for Ravindra Jadeja
Stepping up to bat at number 6 after Rohit Sharma's dismissal, the prolific run-scorer from Mumbai faced a challenging field setup with a short leg, dual midwickets, two deep fine legs, and a deep square, as Mark Wood delivered fast-paced deliveries, making him face tough leather. Amidst this, the English paceman also attempted a clever ruse by bowling a yorker with the fielders ready for a short delivery. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old right-handed batsman was equal to the challenge, deftly flicking it past midwicket to score his first runs in Test cricket with a three.
In the over before this, Sarfaraz tried to dominate with a slog sweep against Rehan Ahmed, only to find himself on the ground. A few soothing words from Ravindra Jadeja, who had scored a century, helped to steady his nerves.
“Jaddu Bhai asked me to take my time and assess the conditions before playing my shots. His advice helped. I like talking to my batting partner when I’m out in the middle. I had asked Jaddu Bhai to keep chatting with me in between overs,” said Sarfaraz with a smile.
Sarfaraz mentioned that he had been geared up in his pads for over four hours, eagerly awaiting his turn to bat. When questioned about how he managed the nervous anticipation, Sarfaraz responded, “I told myself I’d waited so long for this opportunity. I can surely wait a little longer.”
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