 "IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Debutant Sarfaraz Khan's Father, Wife Become Emotional After He Receives India Cap From Anil Kumble; Watch")
Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan is now an India batter. After years of making tons of runs in domestic cricket, Sarfaraz broke the door and got picked up for the national team when KL Rahul was ruled out after 1st Test vs England. Sarfaraz did not get his debut in Visakhapatnam where the 2nd Test was played and India won but the Mumbai cricketer put all his efforts on the field as a substitute fielder. With Shreyas Iyer getting dropped after failures in the first two Tests and Rahul’s comeback also halted thanks to extended recovery period, it was evident that Sarfaraz will be playing the Rajkot match.
Also Read | Jay Shah’s Stern Message To Ishan Kishan And Other Team India Players: We Won’t Tolerate Tantrums, Play Red-Ball Domestic Cricket
On the morning of Day 1 of the third Test, Sarfaraz received his Test cap from the legend Anil Kumble. His father Naushad Khan and wife Romana Zahoor were present when the cap was given to Sarfaraz. His father, in fact, became very emotional as tears rolled down his cheeks and he tried to hide it with his jacket. Sarfaraz later went and hugged his dad and also met his wife as they congratulated their own on this proud achievement. A video is showing that even his wife has tears in her eyes and Sarfaraz tries to wipe them. It was a lovely moment for the Khan household and something which will be etched in their memories forever.
The pictures of Kumble giving the Test cap to Sarfaraz has gone viral. Take a look at the pics and videos below..
Not to forget, not just Sarfaraz but wicketkeeper and batter Dhruv Jurel also made his India debut on Thursday. Jurel comes from a humble background and like Sarfaraz has worked hard to reach the top. This is a big moment for him and his family too.
Having said that, it will not be easy for India in this Test as they lack experience in the middle order with no Virat Kohli (on a break due to personal reasons), Shreyas Iyer (dropped) and KL Rahul (injured), Ishan Kishan (dropped). After Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, the batting order has Rajat Patidar (1 Test), Sarfaraz (debut) and Jurel (debut). The good news is that on this placid surface, India won the toss and decided to bat first. It will give the hosts a huge advantage if they can build a score of over 500 on this track.
The other good news is that Ravindra Jadeja is back in place of Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj replaces Mukesh Kumar. The experience in bowling is there and India would be hoping that the star spinner R Ashwin gets to his 500th Test wicket.