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'He Wasn’t Afraid'- England Coach Hails Sarfaraz Khan For Splendid Test Debut

image-lsn9nnm7Sarfaraz Khan in action on Day 1 of Rajkot Test [X.com]

Young Indian batsman Sarfaraz Khan whacked a rapid 62 against England on Day 1 of the third Test at Rajkot. Showing no first-game jitters, the cricketer played around the field and negated England's spin threat with much ease, pumping out nine boundaries and a six during his hour-long stay at the crease.

Following his whirlwind knock, on Test debut no less, the 26-year-old garnered much admiration from the entire Indian cricketing spectrum. Moreover, Sarfaraz even seems to have attracted the attention of the rival camp's coaching staff, including former captain Paul Collingwood.


Collingwood praises “courageous” Sarfaraz Khan

Former England captain and active coach Paul Collingwood hailed "courageous" Sarfaraz Khan for his splendid knock. Collingwood acknowledged Sarfaraz's aggressive approach with the bat and even praised the youngster's constant ability to take the aerial route even when England skipper Ben Stokes was employing attacking fields.

After stumps on Day 1, the former English cricketer said:

“The way Sarfaraz Khan played, it takes a lot of courage to play like that on debut. Ben Stokes kept attacking fields for him, but he wasn't afraid to go aerial.”

Unfortunately for Sarfaraz Khan, his rebellious knock was halted through a mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja and a direct hit from Mark Wood.

Earlier in the day, Rohit Sharma and Jadeja shared 204 runs together for the fourth wicket after Team India slumped to 33-3. Their twin centuries and Sarfaraz's 66-ball 62 eventually took India towards a commanding 326-5 by stumps.