NEW DELHI:
Sarfaraz Khan
made a memorable
Test debut
in the 3rd Test against England in Rajkot on Thursday and hit a quickfire 62-run knock off 66 balls before getting run out.
A prolific run-getter in Indian domestic cricket, Sarfaraz got his Test cap from former captain Anil Kumble with his teary-eyed father,
Naushad Khan
, and wife looking on.
Sarfaraz made the most with his 48-ball fifty to take the attack to the opposition bowlers and shine on a day of centuries by skipper
Rohit Sharma
(131) and
Ravindra Jadeja
(110 not out).
Sarfaraz's younger brother
Musheer Khan
, who played for India in the recently-concluded Under-19 World Cup, called up his brother in Rajkot after the day's play.
The Indian cricket board (BCCI) shared a video of Sarfaraz talking to his brother:
Sarfaraz had been knocking on the selectors doors for more than three years while scoring in the
Ranji Trophy
and has a first-class average of over 69 in 45 matches and a best of 301 not out.
Sarfaraz came out to bat after Rohit's departure and, following a nervous start, found his rhythm with boundaries to entertain the crowd.
He reached his 50 after a dominant show against the spinners and raised the bat to his family and the applauding dressing room.
Sarfaraz burst into the limelight with a record 439 in school cricket in 2009 but his career later hit roadblocks and controversies.
But Sarfaraz, who plays domestic cricket for Mumbai, is now happy to realise a dream his father had set out to achieve.
(With AFP inputs)
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