Devon Conway’s Stunning Catch against India : In the ongoing Test match between India and New Zealand, Devon Conway pulled off a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Sarfaraz Khan for a duck. This happened during the second day of the first Test, where India faced early setbacks after losing key wickets like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Sarfaraz Khan’s dismissal added to India’s struggles, with Conway’s impressive catch being a major highlight as he helped Matt Henry get a crucial breakthrough.
In the Bengaluru Test, Sarfaraz Khan replaced Shubman Gill in the team. During 1st Test on Day 1 after Virat Kohli got out, Sarfaraz Khan came in to bat. However, he got out without scoring in the first innings. He faced just three balls before being dismissed by Matt Henry. But the real credit for his wicket goes to Devon Conway. Matt Henry was bowling the 10th over for New Zealand. On the fourth ball, Sarfaraz tried to play a big shot, but he didn’t hit it well, and the ball went straight to Conway, standing at short mid-off, Conway took an incredible one-handed diving catch. Sarfaraz was shocked to see such a brilliant catch, and even the New Zealand players were surprised. Henry was so amazed that he smiled and held his head in disbelief. Earlier, Tim Southee bowled out Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli was caught by Glenn Phillips off a delivery from William Rourke.
Sarfaraz Khan’s wicket left India struggling at 10 for 3, having already lost captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli. Conway’s catch not only showcased his excellent fielding skills but also put further pressure on the Indian batting lineup, which was struggling against New Zealand’s pace attack. The early wickets set the tone for the rest of the day for Newzealand, leaving India’s chances of recovery largely dependent on their middle-order batsmen.
Watch Devon Conway’s Catch to dismiss Sarfaraz Khan :
Conway's leap of faith 🤯☝️#TeamIndia lose their 3rd wicket early on in Bengaluru! #INDvNZ #IDFCFirstBankTestTrophy #JioCinemaSports pic.twitter.com/gM3dSzIgKn
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) October 17, 2024
Double Century in the Irani Cup
Sarfaraz Khan was recently part of the Indian team for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, but he didn’t get a chance to play. During the Kanpur Test, he was released to play in the Irani Cup, where he made the most of the opportunity by scoring a double century. He reached his double century in the first innings against Rest of India off 253 balls.
In that innings, Sarfaraz hit 23 fours and 3 sixes. The most impressive part of his performance was that he became the first player from the Mumbai team to score a double century in the history of the Irani Cup. No other Mumbai batter had done this before.
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Sarfaraz Gets a Chance Instead of Gill
Sarfaraz Khan was brought into the team after Shubman Gill had to miss the first Test because of neck stiffness. Last month, after KL Rahul returned, Sarfaraz couldn’t make it to the playing XI against Bangladesh. However, he made a strong comeback in domestic cricket, scoring a record 222 runs in the Irani Cup match against the Rest of India earlier this month.
Earlier Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first in cloudy conditions, which were favorable for fast bowlers. Tim Southee and Matt Henry bowled aggressively on a pitch that offered both swing and seam movement. Rohit was out for just two runs, and Virat Kohli came in at No. 3 after eight years in Test cricket for India. Kohli made his first duck in Test matches since 2021, and Sarfaraz’s wicket further increased India’s difficulties.
India’s Playing XI for the First Test: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.