India’s Sarfaraz says he had to gather a lot of patience before walking out to bat and battle nervousness while on the field for his 62 on Test debut at Rajkot
India’s Sarfaraz Khan celebrates his half century on Day One of the third Test against England in Rajkot yesterday. Pic/PTI
India’s Test cap No. 312, Sarfaraz Khan is living his father Naushad’s dream. On Thursday, the right-handed batsman, 26, from Mumbai fulfilled his father’s dream of donning the whites in a Test match. And he did not disappoint his father, team and the entire nation.
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Attacking knock
Sarfaraz scored an attacking 62 off 66 deliveries with nine fours and a six to cap off a remarkable first day of being an India Test cricketer. He dominated the fifth-wicket stand of 77 with centurion Ravindra Jadeja, the latter’s share being only 15. Sarfaraz looked good for more, but his innings ended in an unfortunate run out.
While Sarfaraz was expected to bat at No. 5 after Rajat Patidar, his anxiety grew further as Jadeja walked out to join captain Rohit Sharma at the fall of the third wicket.
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“I was padded up for four hours. All along, I have been patient in life. So, I had to be a little more patient [before going out to bat]. I was a little nervous for the first couple of overs, but with my years of practice and hard work, things became easier,” said Sarfaraz.
Going into his first Test with 3,912 first-class runs at an average of nearly 70, Sarfaraz still had butterflies in his stomach. “Of course, playing Test cricket is a little different from first-class cricket. You don’t get crowds for a first-class game. But as you understand things, they become normal. I was feeling awkward for the first two overs but then, as I have been playing for so many years, I took things in my stride,” he said.
Meanwhile, all the years of hard work on the dusty maidans of Mumbai have paid off. Naushad was seen shedding tears when his son was presented the Test cap by the legendary Anil Kumble. Also present was Sarfaraz’s wife Romana, whose tears India’s latest Test player wiped after receiving the coveted cap.
“I felt very good,” Sarfaraz said at the end of the first day’s play. “Firstly, it was dad’s dream to play for the country. Unfortunately, for various reasons, he could not play. He then decided that he’d work hard on his children. He put in a lot of effort for me and my brother [Musheer]. This is my proudest moment. I felt very good to receive the cap in front of my father. It was my dream to play for the Indian team in his lifetime.”
‘Burden is off’
Sarfaraz said the monkey was not off his back. “I was not thinking of runs and performances. My only dream was to play for the country in front of my father. Actually, my father was not coming here, but people told him to come as this was a proud moment and that he’d worked hard for this day. He was emotional, my wife was also emotional. The burden is off me as I did not spoil my debut,” he said.
Sarfaraz’s first-class numbers...
3,912
Total runs in 45 matches
14
No. of centuries
69.85
Batting average
301*
Highest score
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