Sarfaraz Khan Century vs Newzealand in 1st Test at Bengaluru : The three-match Test series between India and New Zealand has kicked off, with the first Test being held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru starting from October 16. India struggled in their first innings, but made an impressive recovery in the second innings. A major contributor to this comeback was Sarfaraz Khan, who scored his maiden Test century against New Zealand.
Sarfaraz Khan Hits His First Test Century
In the second innings, India lost their second wicket with Rohit Sharma’s dismissal, bringing Sarfaraz Khan to the crease at number four. He formed a 136-run partnership with Virat Kohli in just 163 balls. After Kohli’s departure, Sarfaraz carried on his innings with Rishabh Pant at the other end.
Sarfaraz reached his first Test century in 110 balls, hitting a boundary off Tim Southee in the 56th over. Following a duck in the first innings, Sarfaraz’s outstanding performance in the second innings played a vital role in India’s fightback in the match. Although Sarfaraz Khan didnโt score a century in his debut Test, he compensated for it this time. The joy of this century was clearly visible on Sarfaraz’s face. The way he celebrated this moment by running around the field was truly special.
Watch Celebration of Sarfaraz Khan after Century :
๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐ฐ'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐! ๐
Maiden century in Test cricket for the rising star, #SarfarazKhan ๐#IDFCFirstBankTestTrophy #INDvNZ #TeamIndia #JioCinemaSports pic.twitter.com/vsB9IhfGTh
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) October 19, 2024
Can Sarfaraz Khan Turn His Century into a Double Century?
Sarfaraz Khan was out for zero in the first innings, but heโs becoming the hero in the second. The Indian team is counting on him now. Sarfaraz knows he still has work to finish. If the Indian team wants to win, he needs to build on his first Test century and aim for a bigger scoreโa double century.
Thereโs no doubt that Sarfaraz can do this. He has the skills to play a big innings in Bengaluru. Recently, he scored a double century in the Irani Cup, so expectations are high from him to perform similarly in Bengaluru.
Sarfaraz Khan’s Test Career
Sarfaraz Khan made his international debut on February 15, 2024, against England. So far, he has played three Test matches, all against England. In these three matches, he has scored 200 runs at a strike rate of 79.36, including three half-centuries.
Sarfaraz Khan’s First-Class Career
Sarfaraz Khan has played in 51 first-class matches, scoring a total of 4,422 runs with a strike rate of 70.75. His record includes 14 centuries and 15 half-centuries, with a highest score of 301* in first-class cricket.
India’s Strong Comeback
New Zealand dealt a significant blow to Team India by dismissing them for their lowest score (46) on home soil. On the third day of the match, the Indian batters gave their all in the second innings to make up for that loss. However, they couldnโt prevent New Zealand from gaining a substantial lead. In response to India’s first innings, the visiting team scored a massive 402 runs, thanks to a century from Rachin Ravindra and a half-century from Tim Southee. The Kiwi team had a hefty lead of 356 runs.In their second innings, the Indian batters seemed to regain their usual form. As of the latest update, India had moved from their third-day score of 231/3 to 344 runs without losing any wickets.