Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at youngster Sarfaraz Khan for the way he got out in the ongoing fifth Test against England in Dharamsala. He remembered the words of Sir Don Bradman and said that the right should have had a little sight.
India batsman Sarfaraz Khan was one of the team’s key players on Day 2 of the ongoing fifth Test against England. He played a vital hand for the team and helped them gain a huge lead in the first innings, beating their opponents completely out of the game.
Sarfaraz Khan came in to bat after India lost Rohit Sharma (103) and Shubman Gill (110) in quick succession. The batsman steadied the ship and ensured that England did not take the momentum. He overcame the difficult phase well and, once inside, made fun of the players.
Sarfaraz Khan was his aggressive best after settling in and hitting shots all over the field. He especially focused on Mark Wood and then put pressure on the pacer. The batsman raced towards his half-century and ensured that team did not waste the start provided by the top three.
Sarfaraz Khan came out in the first delivery after tea. He tried to play Shoaib Bashir’s late cut ball but couldn’t find the space as he handed a straight catch to Joe Root at single slip.
Sunil Gavaskar was not surprised by the way Sarfaraz Khan came out. He said the ball wasn’t there for the shot the batter attempted. He remembered Don Bradman’s words and declared on the air:
“The ball was thrown up; It wasn’t short enough for that shot. He does it and pays the price. I mean you are playing the first dance after tea. Take a little look. Don Bradman told me, ‘Every ball I face, even if I’m at 200, I think I’m at 0.’ and here it is [Sarfaraz] is…playing that shot on the first ball of the session.”
Sarfaraz Khan finished with 56 innings off 60 balls. He hit 8 boundaries and 1 six in his innings. This was his third fifty-plus score in Test cricket. He reached a half-century in both innings of his debut game in Rajkot.
“It didn’t make sense” – Sunil Gavaskar on Dhruv Jurel’s dismissal
Sunil Gavaskar was also not impressed with the way Dhruv Jurel came out. The keeper-batsman came down the track at the start of his innings and was caught in the deep while attempting a six. He managed only 15 runs off 24 balls.
According to Sunil Gavaskar, Dhruv Jurel’s shot was “meaningless” and the wicketkeeper-batsman could have prevented it. Overall, India had a great day with the bat. Rohit Sharma (103) and Shubman Gill (110) hit tons, while Devdutt Padikkal (65) also shone on debut.
Jasprit Bumrah 19 runs off 55 balls Kuldeep Yadav (27*) remained unbeaten on Day 2. India ended the Day on 473/8 and are 255 runs ahead. They would hope to take the lead beyond 300 runs and defeat England as soon as possible.