Run-machine Sarfaraz Khan had made a promise to his Mumbai teammates and his family after his younger brother Musheer was ruled out of the Irani Cup match against Rest of India, following a road accident: score a double hundred. Known to amass big scores, Sarfaraz kept his word with a magnificent knock of 222 to guide Mumbai to a mammoth 537 all out on the third day of their match, even as Musheer was recovering from the accident he suffered while travelling to the city for the game along with his father Naushad Khan.
“Yes, it has been an emotional week for me. I had promised my family and teammates that if I am set, I will score 200 — a hundred for me and hundred for my brother (Musheer),” Sarfaraz told reporters at the end of day’s play.
“If he (Musheer) had played in the match, abbu (father) would have been prouder. Unfortunately, he met with an accident. So, I thought I must somehow score a double ton in this match.” Sarfaraz, 26, said he has spoken to his brother who is seven years younger to the man who is once again knocking on the national selectors’ doors.
“Yeah, I spoke with him. He is fine but will take two-three months to recover,” said Sarfaraz, who struck a half-century against England in the Dharamsala Test in March.
Sarfaraz became the first player to score an Irani Cup double hundred for Mumbai.
His 15th first-class century will certainly dispel all doubts about his slot as a reserve middle-order batter for the remainder of the Test season (8 games).
Asked about his penchant for making big scores, Sarfaraz said, “I’m known to play big knocks. I feel good doing things I’m known for. Mumbai also needed me to bat long,” he said.
“It’s a big opportunity for us to win the Irani Cup after a long time. Back of the mind, I thought of playing as long as possible, putting as many runs on the board as possible which will help the team win,” Sarfaraz added.
The Ekana Stadium track had underlying moisture on the second day and the dampness contributed to the ball seaming around initially and the extra bounce made it challenging for batters.
Sarfaraz’s driving on the off-side was regal and there is nothing more to add to his footwork against spinners. He was brutal, especially against left-arm spinner Manav Suthar (0/137 in 37 overs), who looked clueless.
After a certain point, he employed the negative leg-stump line and Sarfaraz would either slightly go inside out or bent down on one knee to slog sweep it for maximums.
Speaking further about his monumental effort, he said, “I have played in the Irani Cup earlier and scored a century for the Rest of India. But this is a very emotional innings for me as I’m playing for my home team. I am putting an extra effort so that Mumbai can lift the Cup.
“If you look at it, weather was obviously a challenge. We are up against some of best players in India right now,” he said.
“Most of them have played international cricket. I was looking to make runs against them. It was an opportunity to give my best. I am satisfied with the time I spent in the middle.
“The whole bunch has put in lot of effort to reach the Irani Cup by winning the Ranji Trophy last season. It’s not like our team can’t win this tournament). In fact, we are one of the best teams in India. So, we hope to do well and win it.”
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