Batting sensation Sarfaraz Khan's maiden Test century on Day 4 of the first Test against New Zealand sparked a renewed debate about his selection for the Indian national cricket team. Many fans and cricket enthusiasts took to social media to express their support for the talented batsman, referencing Sunil Gavaskar's earlier comments about his potential.
Sunil Gavaskar's old comment on Sarfaraz Khan's selection
Sarfaraz has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket for years, but his selection to the national team has been inconsistent. Despite his impressive numbers, he often faced criticism for not being selected regularly. His recent century has once again highlighted the talent and potential he possesses, raising questions about the selection criteria employed by the selectors.
"If you are looking for only slim and trim guys, then might as well go to a fashion show and find some other models and give a bat and ball in their hands and then improve them. That's not the way cricket goes. You have cricketers in all shapes and sizes. Don't go by the size, go by the scores or wickets. He is not staying off the field when he scores a hundred. He is back on the field again. So, all that tells you is that the man is fit," Gavaskar had said, as quoted by India Today last year.
"How can you score runs? I think at the end of the day if you are unfit, you aren't gonna score hundreds. Cricket fitness is the most important thing. Yo-Yo Test can't be the only criterion. You got to make sure that the man is cricket fit as well. If the person, whoever it is, is cricket fit, then I don't think it should be any matter," he had added.
Sarfaraz Khan's century made him the ninth Indian cricketer to achieve the feat of scoring a century in the second innings after being dismissed for a duck in the first innings of a Test match. He joined a prestigious list of Indian batting greats, including Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Virat Kohli.
It was due to Sarfaraz's 150 and Rishabh Pant's 99, India could stage a fightback in the game. After being bowled out for 45 in their first essay, India posted 462 on the board, which means New Zealand will be chasing 107-run target heading into Day 5.
