[Watch] Sarfaraz Khan receives Thar from Anand Mahindra for his magnificent performances in his debut Test series for India
Team India middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan received a Mahindra Thar SUV on Friday from Anand Mahindra. It was gifted to the cricketer for his inspiring performance in the five-match home Test series against England.
Sarfaraz toiled hard in the domestic circuit and kept piling runs for Mumbai over the past few years but was continuously ignored by the Indian selectors. However, it did not deter his confidence, as he worked hard and performed consistently even when he got a chance in the India A side.
Sarfaraz Khan finally got his chance when a spot in the playing XI opened up after selectors dropped Shreyas Iyer for the last three Tests against England. He got the chance to make his debut in the third Test in Rajkot and made it count with twin fifties. He went on to score 200 runs across five innings in the three Tests he played against England, including three half-centuries.
The 26-year-old batter took to his Instagram handle this evening and shared a video of the Thar SUV he received as a gift on his story. You can watch Sarfaraz Khan's story here.
"He volunteered, and he learned a lot"- Ravichandran Ashwin on Sarfaraz Khan's eagerness to field at short leg during Test series vs England
Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently lauded Sarfaraz Khan for performing well with the bat after a long-awaited Test debut. Ashwin reserved special praise for Khan's attitude by pointing out his eagerness to field at short leg, which most players try to avoid due to injury fear.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said:
"After ages, a young gun has come to us and chose to stand at short leg because nobody stands at short leg from the Indian team. It is very taxing. There is an injury fear. You can see the English and Australian teams. Ollie Pope is the man for short legs. Alastair Cook while he was playing. The same goes with Peter Handscomb for Australia. It is a specialist position and makes a lot of difference. He volunteered, and he learned a lot."
Ashwin also lauded Dhruv Jurel for performing well in crunch moments in the debut international series. He said:
"Dhruv Jurel’s composure was unbelievable. What a temperament! So many people talk about technique and skill; all I see is the temperament and the fight that he puts in. It is critical for us to see that, and he showed all of it in the same innings. When such a cricketer comes out of the blue, he doesn’t have any battle scars. So he can play his game freely."