Indian national cricket team’s batting sensation Sarfaraz Khan, 26, has opened up about missing out on the Test team’s XI despite performing well in the limited opportunities he received.

Sarfaraz has appeared in 4 Test matches for the Indian national cricket team and has scored 350 runs at an astonishing average of 58.33 and a good strike rate of 77.77, along with a century and three fifties.

Sarfaraz Khan played the best Test knock of his career in Bengaluru against New Zealand

In the first Test of the three-match series against the New Zealand national cricket team, Sarfaraz played the best knock of his short Test career at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

After getting a duck in the first innings, Sarfaraz made a stunning comeback and batted exceptionally well in the second innings. He played stellar shots behind the wickets and annoyed the Kiwis with his unorthodox style of cricket.

The 26-year-old was involved in two game-changing partnerships with Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant that completely changed the momentum of the match in India’s favour.

Sarfaraz first linked 136 runs with Virat Kohli on Day 3 and then 177 runs with Rishabh Pant on Day 4, helping India take the lead and set a target of 107 runs for the BlackCaps.

He finished his innings with a score of 150 runs off 195 balls. In his knock, Sarfaraz hit 18 fours and 3 sixes.

I follow my routines and focus on what I can control – Sarfaraz Khan

After the conclusion of Day 4, Sarfaraz Khan attended the press conference where he spoke about missing the India XI due to the team mix. He stated:

“I follow my routines and focus on what I can control. I continue to do what has worked for me over the years, keeping up with my practice and meeting my team’s expectations. Conversations with my father also keep me motivated. Nothing changes in my approach,” RevSportz quotes.

While talking about reaching his first Test century for India, Sarfaraz Khan said that he has just fulfilled his childhood dream with his knock.

“It was really good to mark a century for my country, to fulfill a childhood dream,” Sarfaraz added.

It won’t be easy for New Zealand – Sarfaraz Khan

Although New Zealand has a small target, Sarfaraz feels chasing it won’t be easy on the final day.

“It won’t be easy for New Zealand. The field has its challenges; The ball moves and cuts unpredictably, and there will be spin. “If we can make progress early tomorrow, they may find themselves in a similar situation to us,” he said.

While talking about scoring runs with unorthodox shots behind the wickets, Sarfaraz Khan said that he did not plan anything and just went with the flow. He stated:

“It was not a deliberate plan. They shot outside a lot, which made it easier to score elsewhere. I wasn’t consciously avoiding the medium; “I was just focused on scoring, but it came.”