Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar lauded Sarfaraz Khan for his attacking 150 in the recent first Test against New Zealand, adding that his batting returns were even more remarkable than his waistline. After bagging a duck in the first innings, where India were bowled out for 46, Sarfaraz was at the forefront of India’s second innings total of 462 through an attacking 150 – his maiden Test hundred – laced with 18 fours and three sixes. He wowed cricket fans at M Chinnaswamy Stadium through his cheeky and unorthodox shots, especially through the square region in the off-side. “Sarfaraz Khan has been denied a place in the Indian team for some years now, despite scoring runs by the hundreds in domestic cricket.”
“This was largely because those in a position to make decisions believed he didn’t have the slim waist they deemed necessary for international cricket. Sarfaraz’s returns on the field with the bat were even more prodigious than his waistline. Sadly, Indian cricket has had too many decision-makers with ideas that are hard to fathom,” wrote Gavaskar in his column for Sportstar on Monday.
He also cited the example of wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant performing exceedingly well in Tests – like hitting a fine 99 in Bengaluru and sharing a crucial 177-run stand with Sarfaraz in the second innings – despite not boasting of a super slim waistline.
“Rishabh Pant is another player who doesn’t possess the slim waist that these fitness purists seem to want, but what an impact player he is. Let’s not forget that he also keeps wickets all day, which not only requires getting up and down for around six hours of play but also running to the stumps to gather the throws.”
“So, please discard these yoyo-yoyo tests and instead assess how strong a player is mentally. That will be a true indicator of a player’s fitness. If a player can bat the whole day or bowl 20 overs in a day, he is match-fit, regardless of how slim or not his waist is.”
Talking of India’s eight-wicket defeat in Bengaluru, Gavaskar wondered if the Rohit Sharma-led side not being able to deal with bounce could send them worried ahead of an all-important trip to Australia later this year.
“That their heroics went in vain, as the batters who followed them simply didn’t have the technique or temperament to deal with a pitch that was different from the low-bounce ones where they dominate, only added to the frustration.
“If anything, the way the Indian batting has struggled in Chennai — where again there was some bounce — and now in Bengaluru, does make one anxious about what lies in store in Australia.
“Even the flattest of pitches there have more bounce than the usual Indian surfaces. That said, the Kookaburra ball should be an ally of the batters, as once a dozen overs or so have passed, the seam movement is almost negligible and batting becomes a lot easier,” he concluded.
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