IND vs NZ, 1st Test: Sarfaraz Khan taps into Duleep Trophy experience during counter-attacking partnership with Pant

Though the right-hander is a menace against spinners, Sarfaraz frustrated the Kiwi pacers early on, with his assortment of late dabs and cuts consistently finding the gaps behind square on the off-side.

Indian batter Sarfaraz Khan plays a shot on 4th day of the first Test against New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium (KSCA) in Bengaluru on Saturday. | Photo Credit: K MURALI KUMAR/THE HINDU

It was only fitting that Sarfaraz Khan, who has risen through the grind of domestic cricket, tapped into his experience of playing in the Duleep Trophy recently to score his maiden international century on the fourth day of the first Test between India and New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday.

Sarfaraz struck a 177-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Rishabh Pant to help India erase its mammoth 356-run first-innings deficit and recalled his alliance with the Indian wicketkeeper-batter last month at the same venue.

“Recently, we had a match here in the Duleep Trophy. We had to counterattack in the second innings. It was a similar situation. We had to score quickly and put the opposition in to bat. We were talking about how the Duleep Trophy days have returned. We said, ‘Chalo, phirse karte hain (Let’s do it again),’” Sarfaraz reminisced.

Pant (left) and Sarfaraz (right) in action during the Duleep Trophy match between India B and India A at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium (KSCA) in Bengaluru on September 07, 2024. | Photo Credit: K MURALI KUMAR/THE HINDU

Turning out for India B, the duo put on 72 runs off 56 balls for the fourth wicket, helping their team set a match-winning 275-run target against the Shubman Gill-led India A side.

On Saturday, Sarfaraz and Pant combined to score at over five runs an over, and never let the momentum drop by, shouldering responsibility in equal measure.

“When the left-arm spinner [Ajaz Patel] was bowling, I was trying to give him [Pant] the strike, because I knew he would hit him outside [the ground]. There would be pressure from both ends because I was scoring well against the fast bowlers,” Sarfaraz explained.

READ | IND vs NZ, 1st Test, Day 4 Report

Though the right-hander is known to be a menace against spinners, Sarfaraz frustrated the Kiwi pacers early on, with his assortment of late dabs and cuts consistently finding the gaps behind square on the off-side.

His first five boundaries of the day came between deep point and third-man off William O’Rourke and Matt Henry, and by the time he had reached his century, he had plundered 48 runs in that region.

Having honed his skills on an astro turf wicket back home that simulates exaggerated bounce, Sarfaraz said the late cuts came naturally to him and the ploy of New Zealand’s tall pacers to bowl short-pitched deliveries to him only played into his hands.

“I like tall bowlers. Even at home, I have a bouncy wicket, and I play there every day. There is good bounce there, so I like cutting the balls that bounce. They were bowling short to me, and I was scoring in that area. Maza aata hai bas (I enjoy it. That’s all),” he quipped.

Though Sarfaraz cut a composed figure during his stay at the crease, a mix-up with Pant saw him animatedly gesturing to his partner from the non-striker’s end to abort the second run.

With Pant suffering a knock to his knee on Thursday and missing the whole day’s action the following day, Sarfaraz revealed that the team had taken a call on not exacerbating the wicketkeeper’s injury with frantic running between the wickets.

“We had discussed about being careful while running between the wickets because of his injury. I was nearing my hundred, and after playing the late cut, I had called for the second as we were crossing. Then I remembered about his injury and lifted my hands to say ‘no’. But he wasn’t looking at me. But thank God, bach gaya (he survived),” he said.

Sarfaraz’s selection in the playing XI has been contingent on the team combination, which meant he had to sit out the recently concluded two-match Test series against Bangladesh despite scoring three fifties in his debut series against England earlier this year.

He grabbed a spot for this game only because Gill had to sit out due to a stick neck.

However, Sarfaraz is only focused on the present and the things he can control and, for now, is happy to have ticked off his childhood dream of scoring a century for India.