Perseverance and hard work are not for those looking for instant gratification for their audience, but they are often invaluable in times of crisis.Ranji Trophy vs Delhi at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi At , Mumbai’s impressive top orders collapsed as the ball swung in both directions and breezes added to the difficulty of supply negotiations.
But Sarfaraz Khan attacked wisely. He showed caution before opening in the afternoon, turning the tide and giving his team the edge at the end of the day. He played some excellent shots, compensating for a slow start late in the inning with his T20-style acceleration, brightening up the day with four sixes.
The century was the 13th of his first-class career. His innings also had guts, style and panache. Speaking to reporters about it, he shared his game plan:
“When the team is in trouble, I often bat. It’s 3-on-16, 3-on-20, 3-on-50. When I go batting, my intention is to spend time in the middle. When the pitch is good, I attack normally, and when the pitch is broken, like today when the ball is swinging and sometimes I feel the wind, I try to be patient. I knew it wouldn’t be as sharp, so I might be able to run a few times then.”
He played both his Hrithik Shokeen and his Yogesh Sharma, the spinners of Delhi, well. Sarfaraz’s attack resulted in Shokeen being removed from the tackle after just two overs (he later bowled back after nine wickets had fallen). Yogesh he was also hit by a run, but he came back to catch a big fish.
Sarfaraz hit big but missed the ball and was at a loss. “The fast bowlers bowled well. I kept the spin bowlers from nesting. I thought I should pressure them before they pressured me. This plan worked, so The orchids started flowing immediately.”
He’s been knocking on the doors of Indian teams in Wildfire for some time now. His father’s support helps him stay motivated.
“My father is in town. His last two days he practiced in Ghaziabad. The only thing he said to me was:
“Our only job is to record runs, whether it is domestic or international cricket. ,” Sarfaraz said.