Legendary Sunil Gavaskar expressed his dissatisfaction with the choice of shot by Sarfaraz Khan that led to his dismissal right after the tea break on Day two of the final and fifth Test against England in Dharamsala on March 8. Sarfaraz had been performing strongly, contributing 56 runs and forging a 97-run stand with newcomer Devdutt Padikkal.
Gavaskar questions Sarfaraz's shot selection
Despite being well-set, Sarfaraz missed a chance to build on his performance and aim for a century. His innings was cut short by an ill-timed late cut on the very first delivery following the tea interval, which somewhat lessened the enthusiasm surrounding his knock. Gavaskar criticised Sarfaraz's premature shot selection and used the moment as a teachable point for the young player, even referencing the legendary Don Bradman to underscore his point.
“The ball was pitched up; it wasn’t short enough for that shot. Goes for it and pays the price. I mean you are playing the first ball after tea. Give yourself a little sighter. Don Bradman said to me ‘Every ball that I face, even if I am on 200, I think I am on 0.’ And here is [Sarfaraz] is… playing such a shot first ball of the session,” Gavaskar said during commentary.
After James Anderson bowled Shubman Gill, achieving his 699th wicket with a spectacular delivery that sent the stumps flying, Sarfaraz Khan stepped in to bat alongside Devdutt Padikkal at a score of 279/3. The duo, initially cautious, gradually settled in and soon launched into aggressive batting, especially Sarfaraz, who particularly targeted Mark Wood. Facing off against England's quickest bowler, Sarfaraz hit him for three boundaries and a six across two overs. Nonetheless, just as their partnership started to pose a significant threat, Sarfaraz nicked a delivery from Shoaib Bashir to the slips, ending his innings at 56.
Following Sarfaraz's exit, India's innings faced a downturn, plummeting from 376/3 to 428/8, a collapse that saw them lose five wickets for just 54 runs. Padikkal, marking his debut with a half-century, was undone by a sharp ball from Bashir, while Dhruv Jurel's attempt at an ambitious drive found a fielder at long-on. Ravindra Jadeja was adjudged LBW off Tom Hartley, who also dismissed Ravichandran Ashwin, playing in his landmark 100th Test, without scoring.
India on cusp of handing England yet another defeat
Meanwhihle, following their commanding batting display, India have established a 255-run lead with more runs potentially on the board, positioning themselves as the clear favorites to clinch a resounding win in Dharamsala and secure the Anthony D’Mello Trophy with a 4-1 series win.
Resuming at an overnight score of 135/1, Rohit Sharma and Gill contributed 103 and 110 respectively, amassing 171 runs for the second wicket and steering India into a commanding position. Towards the day's end, Kuldeep Yadav (27 not out) and Jasprit Bumrah (19 not out) kept India in the game with two wickets in hand, despite a brief falter in the evening session, by holding firm with an ongoing ninth-wicket partnership now valued at 45 runs.
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