It was a dream come true for young Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan as he received his maiden India cap against England. And he made it count with three brisk half-centuries.
However, Sarfaraz would feel he left more runs out there. Just when it seemed he was settling in for a big knock, he fell playing loose shots.
In Dharamsala, Sarfaraz and Devdutt Padikkal had added 95 runs to rescue India. But the first ball post-tea proved his undoing, caught behind off a loose cut.
Legend Sunil Gavaskar was livid in commentary, questioning Sarfaraz’s shot selection so early after the break with his wicket in hand. It seemed the youngster had ignored the master’s advice in their long chat pre-match.
The dismissal played on Sarfaraz’s mind. As per Shyam Bhatia, who facilitated their meeting, Sarfaraz was distraught after getting out. The next day, a repentant Sarfaraz personally apologised to Gavaskar for disregarding his inputs.
It was a bittersweet debut for Sarfaraz. While he announced himself on the big stage, he’ll hope to go from starts to big scores the next time by learning from mistakes against the English.
