Sarfaraz Khan taught stern 'Don Bradman' lesson by Sunil Gavaskar after India batter 'pays the price'

Sunil Gavaskar was not impressed with Sarfaraz Khan for his shot selection on Day 2 of the 5th Test between India and England.

Sunil Gavaskar was not impressed with Sarfaraz Khan's shot selection that led to his dismissal first ball after tea against England on Day 2. Sarfaraz was well set, batting on 56 having put on a 97-run partnership with debutant Devdutt Padikkal, but missed a golden opportunity to convert it into an even bigger innings, possibly a century. But a late cut, first ball after tea, ended his innings in a bit of an anti-climax.

Sunil Gavaskar was not happy with Sarfaraz Khan's dismissal. (Getty-AFP)

Sarfaraz came to bat and joined Padikkal after James Anderson moved to wicket No. 699 by sending Shubman Gill's stump cartwheeling. At 279/3, Sarfaraz and Patidar took their time, but once set, unleashed a string of attacking strokeplay, Sarfaraz more. He took a liking towards Mark Wood, taking England's fastest bowler on and smashed him for three fours and a six in two overs. But just when the partnership was beginning to look threatening, Sarfaraz cut Shoaib Bashir to slips.

Gavaskar clearly wasn't pleased by the type of shot Sarfaraz played early on, and handed out a stern lesson to the youngster related to the great Don Bradman.

"The ball was pitched up; it wasn't short enough for that shot. Goes for it and pays the price. I mean you are playing the first ball after tea. Give yourself a little sighter. Don Bradman said to me 'Every ball that I face, even if I am on 200, I think I am on 0.' And here is [Sarfaraz] is… playing such a shot first ball of the session," Gavaskar remarked on air.

Sarfaraz's dismissal opened the floodgates for England as India, from 376/3, slumped to 428/8, losing five wickets for 54 runs. Not the worst of slides given India were already 150-odd runs ahead but a collapse nonetheless. Padikkal, who scored a fifty on debut, was done in by an excellent delivery from Bashir and Dhruv Jurel toe-ended a lofted drive to the fielder at long-on. Ravindra Jadeja was trapped out LBW by Tom Hartley, who then added a second by clean bowling Ravichandran Ashwin for a duck in his 100th Test.

Gavaskar reacts to Jurel's dismissal

Jurel's dismissal too did not sit well with Gavaskar. The former India captain, who labelled the young India wicketkeeper batter as 'another MS Dhoni' felt there was no need to play that shot. "It made no sense," he said.

Despite losing five wickets in the final session, India went to stumps 473/8, with a lead of 255 after Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah put up a brilliant rearguard effort – an unbeaten partnership of 45 runs for the ninth wicket. India could have been 9 down but captain Ben Stokes put Kuldeep down at slips when he was on 23. Bumrah, with 19 not out off 55 balls, too put up a dogged resistance.