'Sarfaraz being Sarfaraz…': Rohit Sharma addresses debatable first-innings call as India debutant slams consecutive 50s

India’s Rohit Sharma celebrates a wicket with Sarfaraz Khan during the 3rd Test

Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal may have been the heroes of India’s record 434-run trouncing of England, but debutant Sarfaraz Khan emerged as an equally big positive. The 26-year-old, playing his first Test, had a pretty fabulous first game for India as not only did his team win, but Sarfaraz contributed to it with half-centuries in both innings. Playing in the only way he knows – attacking – Sarfaraz belted 62 off 66 in the first innings and remained unbeaten on 68 off 72 in the second as India completed their biggest win in Test cricket by thrashing England by 434 runs.

While there were absolutely no chinks noticed in his batting, in the first innings, Sarfaraz, slotted to bat at No.5, was made to wait as Ravindra Jadeja was handed a batting promotion. India were 33/3, so the decision was understandable because they probably didn’t want to lose another wicket or put Sarfaraz under pressure. After Jadeja and Rohit Sharma put on a 204-run partnership for the 4th wicket, the stage was set for Sarfaraz to play his booming game. Things were obviously different in the second innings as India, looking for quick runs, sent Sarfaraz ahead of Jadeja as Rohit explained the rationale behind sending Jadeja at No.5 or whether it was just a one-time decision given India were fielding a very young batting side.

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“For this game, we thought he has got so much experience and has got a lot of runs as well, we wanted that left-right combo, Sarfaraz being Sarfaraz and with the quality he has got, we wanted him to have time. We saw what he can do with the bat. [on the batting order] It’s not a long-term view, we go with the flow and what we feel on that particular day, looking at the opposition, the bowling attack. We calculate everything and then go with the flow,” Rohit said after the match.

When Shastri questioned Rohit’s call

Rohit’s decision, however, was questioned by Ravi Shastri, with the former India head coach saying on commentary that he would have sent Sarfaraz at No.5 so as to test the youngster and his mettle in Test cricket but was proven wrong to a certain extent as Jadeja notched up the 4th Test century of his career.

“Weighing the options, I would have gone with Sarfaraz. Very straightforward – making his debut, Day 1 of a Test match, good batting conditions, good player of spin. The only reason you can think [of Jadeja batting ahead of Sarfaraz] is the left-hand, right-hand combination. With the spinners out there, I can understand Jadeja could still get a 100 from here. But someone playing his 1st Test match, you want to expose him, show confidence in him. Go and see what Test cricket is all about and if he passes the test, he will only become a better player,” Shastri had said.

Jadeja was adjudged Player of the Match for scoring a century in the first innings and completing his five-wicket haul to bowl England out for 122 on Day 4, but even Sarfaraz was a huge box ticked for India. Showing shades of Rishabh Pant, the batter showed nerves of steel and did not hold back. Known for his domination of spinners, Sarfaraz did exactly that in both innings and slapped four sixes across both innings, pretty much sealing his place in the Indian middle for the remaining two Test in Ranchi and Dharamsala.

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