‌IND vs ENG | Sarfaraz adds lacking killer instinct to India in Bazballian debut display

Three balls into the burst, Ben Foakes had already walked up to the stumps as a preventive measure, only for the 41-year-old to uncharacteristically slide a wayward delivery wide of the stumps and be nonchalantly dispatched for a boundary down third man. A self-reprimand reeking of disdain followed from Anderson, in stark contrast to the calm reproach of his nemesis at the other end. That one sequence of play essentially summed up Sarfaraz Khan’s memorable debut.

Ever since surviving a five-ball bumper barrage from a worked-up Mark Wood to begin his Test career, Sarfaraz played with the self-belief of a seasoned campaigner to prove he belonged at this level. He got off the mark at the first opportunity he got by deftly flicking away Wood’s attempt at a surprise yorker for three comfortable runs which set the tone for his knock. The Mumbaikar later marched down the track to slap each of Anderson’s first two deliveries, turning the tables on England who had used this strategy as a key tenet in the Bazball era to put the opposition quicks under the pump. And while the exaggerated interception point did not fetch Sarfaraz runs, the tactic was enough to shake Anderson off his line and length, eventually allowing the batter to reap rewards.

In Hyderabad, the Men in Blue had looked on course for a 500-plus total for pretty much the entirety of their first innings, until the last five wickets fell for just 80 runs and ultimately ended up costing them the Test.  Similarly in Vizag, they had collapsed from 301/4 to 396 all-out and 211/4 to 255 all-out, thus spurning the opportunity to put the game decisively beyond England’s reach.

A pressure that, incidentally, had been constantly threatening to boil over whenever he handed strike to the incumbent Ravindra Jadeja. Batting on 84 when Sarfaraz walked in, the southpaw had recoiled into a shell approaching his ton and comprehensively shut shop regardless of what was on offer. Sarfaraz ensured he gave Ben Stokes little opportunity to take advantage of the bubble with his incredible flexibility and provided the hosts the much-needed impetus. The nearly run-a-ball onslaught also ensured England could not take the new ball while the sun dipped and ambient light faded, lest Sarfaraz took advantage of the hard leather to propel the scoring rate beyond control. 

Perhaps some credit for Sarfaraz’s immediate success also befalls the selectors who appear to have hit the bullseye in the age-old debate of when to blood a potential generational talent, on this occasion. Sarfaraz had failed to make a gargantuan impact for India A in the past, managing just 234 runs in his last eight appearances at 29.50 for the Blues before 2024 rolled around – a far cry from his first-class average of 69.85. However, in January, Sarfaraz finally broke the barriers with scores of 96, 4, 55, and 161 against the England Lions which led to an immediate call-up and a debut thereafter, albeit the unavailability of KL Rahul and Virat Kohli played a pivotal role as well.