Sarfaraz Khan’s scintillating century in the second innings of the first Test against New Zealand has reignited his hopes of cementing a place in the Indian Test team. The 25-year-old right-hander, who was drafted in as a replacement for the injured Shubman Gill, seized the opportunity with both hands, scoring a magnificent 150 runs to lead India’s fightback.
After a disappointing duck in the first innings, Sarfaraz showed his class and determination in the second, playing a series of eye-catching strokes to bring up his maiden Test century. He reached the milestone with a boundary off Tim Southee and celebrated with a jubilant sprint, his teammates and the support staff joining in the celebration from the dressing room.
Sarfaraz’s century was a testament to his hard work and perseverance. He has been in impressive form in domestic cricket for several years, but had yet to translate that success into the international arena. This knock has undoubtedly put him on the radar of the selectors and will give him confidence for the rest of the series.
The BCCI shared a montage of two moments separated by more than nine years, featuring Sarfaraz and Virat Kohli. In the first clip, from IPL 2015, a 17-year-old Sarfaraz scored a cracking 21-ball 45 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. As soon as he finished his innings, Kohli came onto the field with a big smile and bowed to him, a gesture that left a lasting impression on the young batsman.
Recalling the moment, Sarfaraz said, “I met him at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium for the first time. I had scored 45 runs in 21 balls here and he bowed at me. I had a lot of fun that day. It was a dream to share an Indian team dressing room with him it will come true in the future if I get the opportunity.”
Sarfaraz also spoke about his experience of playing alongside Kohli in RCB, highlighting his passion and love for the game. “His (Virat Kohli’s) passion and spirit are unmatched. Whenever I saw him, even in the pre-match meetings, he’d take charge and tell everyone how many runs he’d score off a particular bowler and break that down for everyone. To be gutsy enough to stand up and talk with such positivity in front of everyone and then deliver the next day is a very unique ability,” Sarfaraz said.
Sarfaraz’s century has given India a glimmer of hope in the first Test against New Zealand. The hosts still trail by a significant margin, but Sarfaraz’s knock has shown that they have the batting firepower to compete with the world champions.
