Sarfaraz Khan’s omission from the initial Test team created controversy among many but the 27-year-old hits back strongly. Prior to his century in the intra-squad match, he compiled a gritty 92 in the opening unofficial Test against the England Lions in Canterbury in making a strong case for his selection.
The Mumbai batter has, so far, played six Test matches for India with 371 runs at an average of 37.10. His best performance was in the past year itself when he dominated play with an unbeaten 150 in the second innings of the Bengaluru Test match against New Zealand. Subsequent indifferent performances in the next series cost him opportunities, including the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
Relentless Preparation Pays Off
Sarfaraz’s recent performance is the result of the rigorous training he has undertaken in recent months. Before the England series, it was reported that he lost 10 kilograms and practiced immensely against swing bowling—training specific to English conditions. Sadly, even with the effort, he was not selected for the team from June 20.
Concerns Emerge Over Senior Pacers’ Form
While Sarfaraz made a mark with the bat, India’s bowling department—more so the senior pacers—caused some eyebrows to be raised. Jasprit Bumrah remained wicketless and took runs at the rate of five per over, while Mohammed Siraj, though taking two wickets, leaked runs at a more than seven economy rate. Prasidh Krishna also joined the act with two wickets, and Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed one, getting opener Abhimanyu Easwaran out for 39.
Such costly spells by frontline bowlers just before the England series can be a concern for the team management.
Supporting Contributions by India A
Among the other notable scorers for India A, Sai Sudharsan scored a smooth 38 off 60 balls with seven boundaries. Wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan scored 45 runs from 55 balls. At stumps on Day 2, India A continued at 299 for 6, still 160 runs behind the senior India team.
India’s Strong Start on Day 1
Earlier, in Day 1 of the match, India’s batting was spearheaded by skipper Shubman Gill and KL Rahul’s half-centuries, providing the team with a strong foundation. The intra-squad match, while shut to the public eye, still provides critical match practice and form pointers before the high-profile England series.
