Overview:
He removed his helmet and took a moment to soak in the applause from his non-striker and the Mumbai team. He was dismissed for 111 by Parth Vats.
Sarfaraz Khan, the skilled right-handed batter, is determined to earn a place in India’s Test squad for the upcoming home series against the West Indies, which begins on October 2. After being overlooked for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, the 27-year-old has clearly set his sights on making a comeback into the playing XI. On Tuesday, Sarfaraz further strengthened his case with a match-winning century for Mumbai against Haryana in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament.
He reached the landmark in the final session of Day 1, taking just 99 balls to get there. Sarfaraz sealed his century in style, hitting a towering six off Haryana’s Ishant Bharadwaj. Following this, he removed his helmet and took a moment to soak in the applause from his non-striker and the Mumbai team. He was dismissed for 111 by Parth Vats.
Earlier this season, Sarfaraz made a strong impact by scoring an impressive century in the opening match of the Buchi Babu Tournament against TNCA XI. He remained unbeaten on 138, with ten boundaries and sixes, at the Gojan College ground.
Throughout both of his centuries this season, Sarfaraz has maintained an aggressive mindset, playing his shots from the very first ball and refusing to let the opposition dictate terms. Despite struggling with cramps during his knock against Haryana, he battled through the discomfort and made a statement to the selectors, including chairman Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir.
With Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan failing to grab their opportunities in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, openings have emerged in both the No. 3 position and lower middle order. The question remains whether Sarfaraz will be rewarded with a place in the squad for the series against the West Indies.
Sarfaraz warmed the bench in Australia
Sarfaraz Khan was part of India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia but didn’t feature in any of the matches during the 1-3 series loss. Last year, he scored 150 runs in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand but only managed 21 runs in four innings on the turning tracks of Pune and Mumbai.
He also played for India A in the unofficial Tests against England Lions, scoring 92 in the first game before being dropped for the second. So far, Sarfaraz has played 11 Tests for India, scoring 371 runs at an average of 37.10.