Sarfaraz Khan continues his impressive form with another century in the Buchi Babu Tournament. Following his exclusion from the England Test series, Khan’s strong performances aim to secure a spot in the upcoming West Indies series.
Mumbai and Team India batter Sarfaraz Khan has been showcasing incredible consistency in the ongoing Buchi Babu Tournament, as he registered another century in the third and final match of the tournament against Haryana at MRF Pachaiyappa’s Cricket Ground in Chennai on Tuesday, August 26.
Sarfaraz Khan is trying to make a comeback to the Indian Test after he was snubbed for the recently concluded series against England. The 27-year-old was picked for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, but did not get a single match throughout the five-match Test series, which Team India lost by a margin of 1-3, surrendering the BGT title to Australia after 10 years. Sarfaraz was part of the India A squad for two unofficial Tests against England Lions, and scored 92 in his only appearance at Canterbury.
As Team India will begin their home Test series of the ongoing WTC cycle against West Indies in October, Sarfaraz Khan is leaving no stone unturned on his path to reclaim a spot in the national Test side.
Sarfaraz’s relentless push for Test comeback
Sarfaraz Khan has been trying to grab the attention of the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee with his performance in the Buchi Babu Tournament. The 27-year-old started his pre-season with a brilliant century against Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) XI, playing an aggressive innings of 138 off 114 balls before he was retired hurt in the first innings. In the second innings, Sarfaraz scored 36 off 25 balls.
In the ongoing match against Haryana, Sarfaraz Khan continued to dominate the bowling attack, as he crafted a patient and commanding innings of 111 off 112 balls. Walking out to bat at 84/4 after Divyaansh Saxena’s dismissal, Khan anchored the innings while forming a crucial 117-run stand for the fifth wicket with Hardik Tamore, who scored 39 off 73 balls, to take Mumbai past the 200-run mark.
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Sarfaraz Khan’s innings and vital contributions from Hardik Tamore, Shams Mulani (50*), and Tanush Kotian (48) helped Mumbai post a total of 346/8 before stumps on Day 1. Sarfaraz’s performance was the headline of the day’s play as the middle-order batter steadied Mumbai’s innings and pulled the team out of a shambolic situation against Haryana.
Before the Buchi Babu Tournament, Sarfaraz Khan played Kanga Cricket League, following in the footsteps of Mumbai cricket legends like Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar, using it as a platform to showcase his form and push for a return to the Indian Test side.
Has Sarfaraz Khan made a strong case for India comeback?
Sarfaraz Khan’s last Test appearance was in the third Test of the series against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in November last year. Thereafter, he has been overlooked for the national side despite being included in the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Mumbai cricketer was surprisingly excluded from the squad for the England Test series, leaving him with no international game time.
After being dropped from the England Test tour, Sarfaraz Khan underwent a massive weight transformation and regained his fitness before returning to competitive cricket in the Buchi Babu Tournament. With two consecutive centuries in the pre-season tournament, Sarfaraz has sent a clear message to the selectors, proving his form, consistency, and readiness to stake a claim in the Indian Test side for two home series against West Indies and South Africa.
Sarfaraz Khan has been included in the West Zone squad for the semifinal clash at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) Ground on September 4. He will look to continue his rich vein of form and strengthen his case for a national recall with another commanding performance.
In his Test career, Sarfaraz Khan has aggregated 371 runs, including a century and three fifties, at an average of 37.10 in six matches. His only century against New Zealand at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, scoring 150 off 195 balls in the second innings.