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Sarfaraz Khan scored his first century, marking a major turning point in his developing Test career.
NEW DELHI: In his fourth Test match, Indian middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan scored his first century, marking a major turning point in his developing Test career. India overcame a difficult situation and turned the tide against New Zealand thanks in large part to Sarfaraz’s crucial knock in the second innings.
Virat Kohli was removed for 82 on the last ball of the day, leaving India in a vulnerable position at the end of Day 3. But Sarfaraz, the sole overnight batsman, was still undefeated at 70. India was chasing a significant second-innings deficit and still had a lot of work to do.
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On the fourth morning, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant joined Sarfaraz. At first, the two took their time, with Sarfaraz continuing his fluid run-scoring from the day before and Pant adopting a conservative stance. Both batsmen started to control the New Zealand bowling assault as the innings went on. Sarfaraz built his innings maturely by playing the pacers with caution, while Pant took the initiative against the spinners.
Sarfaraz achieved his first Test century during their outstanding combination, which gave the young batter great pride. At a pivotal moment, his century saved India from peril and brought much-needed stability. Sarfaraz and Pant’s combination developed into a strong 167-run partnership that turned the tide decisively in India’s advantage.
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Sarfaraz eventually fell for a well-made 150 after he tried to loft a Tim Southee delivery over mid-off but instead sliced the ball into the cover fielder’s hands. However, India had amassed a dominant 408 by the time he left, having taken a 56-run advantage in the second innings.
In addition to giving India the upper hand in the game, this knock strengthened Sarfaraz’s argument for a consistent place in the Test team, particularly with the crucial away series in Australia quickly approaching.
