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Shunned by selectors, Sarfaraz slams another Ranji ton
The prolific middle-order batter rescued Mumbai with a stroke-filled 125 against Delhi on Day 1 of their Ranji Trophy clash at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground
Sarfaraz Khan’s celebratory shriek reverberated around the Ferozeshah Kotla ground on Tuesday afternoon. Having reached his 13th first-class hundred in his 53rd innings, just after tea on Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy clash against Delhi, the Mumbai batter was justified to vent his frustration. Despite producing big scores in first-class cricket with consistency over the past three years — he averages over 80 in 37 matches — an India call-up has proved elusive for the 25-year-old.
Sarfaraz was expecting his big moment to arrive when the squad for the first two Tests against Australia was announced on Friday, but was left sobbing by his own admission after the selectorial snub. He responded in the best way possible, letting the bat do the talking, rescuing Mumbai with 125 (155 b, 16x4, 4x6) that helped Mumbai recover before they were 293 all out at stumps on the first day.
It was an innings that showcased his grit, defiance and exquisite strokeplay. Sent in by Delhi stand-in captain Himmat Singh, Mumbai were tottering at 110/5 before the No 5 batter stitched together a critical 144-run partnership with Shams Mulani for the sixth wicket.
Sarfaraz has made a habit of stepping up in such circumstances. How does Mumbai’s crisis man do it time and again?
“Jaise aapne bola, aadat hogayi hai (Just like you said, I’ve got accustomed to it). A lot of times it has been 16/3 or 20/3 or 50/3,” Sarfaraz told reporters after scoring his third century this Ranji season.
“So, I go in there and look to spend time. If the wicket is fine, I look to play my normal attacking game. If there is bounce or swing, like there was today, I play cautiously. After lunch, the runs flow quickly. That’s what happened this time too. I have been playing for a long time now. I know how to play with the lower-order. I read the game well.”
Sarfaraz scored just one run off his first 25 balls and hadn’t crossed 20 until his 58th delivery. But as he said, it doesn’t take long for the right-hander to shift through the gears. He now has 556 runs in six matches this season at an average of 111.2, building on his Bradman-esque numbers in 2019/20 (928 runs at 154.66) and 2021/22 (982 runs at 122.75).
Sarfaraz credited his father and coach Naushad, with helping him stay motivated through this difficult phase.
“My father came here two days ago as he knew I was sad. I practiced with him in Ghaziabad for the past two days. He just told me, my job is to score runs, whether I make it here or for India. Whenever I have been frustrated, whether it was when I went to play for Uttar Pradesh or when I came back to Mumbai, he keeps me mentally ready,” Sarfaraz said, steering clear of commenting on his India non-selection.
There have been suggestions that Sarfaraz’s absence from the Test squad is to do with his lack of big scores for India A. He challenged such a notion.
“There is no extra pressure while playing for India A. It is not possible to be successful always. If someone is successful all the time, he will be a different player altogether. I made 71 not out on my India A debut when I ran out of partners. I could have made a century there. I also made 60-odd on an A tour of New Zealand. I will try to score a hundred even for India A. My matches for India A have also been less,” he said.
Two of his Mumbai teammates, Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav, are currently ahead of Sarfaraz in the queue for a middle-order berth in Tests. The right-hander is willing to move around the batting order as per the needs of the team.
“I can play wherever the team needs me to. In Ranji, I have batted at No 5. But I have opened and played at No 3 for DC. I have also played the role of a finisher at RCB.”
Sarfaraz ready to keep at DC
With Rishabh Pant set to miss IPL 2023 after a horrific car accident last month, Sarfaraz is likely to fill in as Delhi Capitals’ wicketkeeper-batter. He kept wicket for runners-up Mumbai in the 2022/23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament. Barring Pant, England’s Phil Salt is the only specialist keeper in the Capitals squad.
“I have been working on my wicketkeeping too. I did the job for Mumbai in the Mushtaq Ali,” he said.
Brief scores (select matches)
In New Delhi: Mumbai 293 (S Khan 125; P Vijayran 4/66) vs Delhi.
In Rohtak: Bengal 335/6 (A Majumdar 137*; H Patel 3/60) vs Haryana.
In Thumba: Kerala 224/6 (S Baby 116*; V Koushik 4/36) vs Karnataka.
In Chennai: Tamil Nadu 386/4 (N Jagadeesan 125, P Ranjan Paul 99*) vs Assam.
