IND and NZ: Sarfaraz Khan scored his first international hundred in the first Test between India and New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. The 26-year-old reached the milestone in just 110 balls, showing his aggressive intent with 13 boundaries and three towering sixes.
Sarfaraz replaced Shubman Gill in the lineup due to Gill’s neck stiffness and finally made his mark on the international stage after playing seven innings in Test cricket. His maiden century was particularly notable considering he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings of this match. This achievement also marks the 22nd time that an Indian player has scored both a duck and a hundred in the same Test match.
After India’s early start of the second innings fell short, Sarfaraz formed a vital partnership with Virat Kohli to score over 100 runs for the third wicket. His innings was crucial in India’s efforts to take the lead as they continued to dominate the match.
Sarfaraz is doing very well domestically. Just earlier this month, he scored a double century for Mumbai in an Iran Cup match against fellow Indian teams. His first-class record is equally impressive, stretching back 15 centuries, and he is renowned for transforming hundreds of musical scores into monumental scores. In fact, he has converted 10 of these 15 centuries into 150-plus innings, including 4 double hundreds.
Sarfaraz’s first-class average of 69.56 is the highest among active cricketers and his domestic success has now transferred to the international stage. His top-notch first-class score of 301 runs for Mumbai against his former team Uttar Pradesh in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy further illustrates his potential to score big.
Sarfaraz, who made his international debut against England earlier this year, scored two half-centuries in Rajkot and another fifty in Dharamshala to help India win 3-1 Locked up the series. His Test century against New Zealand cemented his place as a future star in the Indian batting line-up.
Sarfaraz Khan’s performance in this match marked the beginning of a long and fruitful career for India. His consistency in domestic cricket is now translating into key contributions at the highest level and India will definitely look to him as a key player in the years to come.