Rohit Sharma on Sarfaraz Khan’s debut: Haven’t seen him bat much but he brought energy into Test | Cricket News

India skipper Rohit Sharma lauded Sarfaraz Khan’s attitude during his Test debut in the team’s belligerent 434-run win over England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Sunday.The 26-year-old Sarfaraz has endured a long wait to make his debut in national colours, despite setting the domestic circuit on fire with consent runs in the red-ball format since 2019. The Mumbai batter sizzled against the English bowlers, scoring fifties in both innings to become only the fourth Indian to achieve the feat on Test debut.
While the Indian captain admitted that he hadn’t seen a lot of his fellow Mumbaikar’s batting before, Rohit lauded Sarfaraz’s presence during his first international match. “I have not seen Sarfaraz bat that much. But I have heard from Bombay (Mumbai) players that he has scored runs in difficult situations. And big runs.
“It gives an idea about his personality. Very hungry for runs and he has been scoring consently. We didn’t discuss plans – we knew khula chod do toh kaam kar lega (job would be done if he was set open freely). That’s what I had heard from Bombay players also. He did seem nervous on the morning of the Test, but once the game started, he brought energy into the match. Felt good to see him score,” Rohit said.
Sarfaraz struck a crucial half-century in the first-innings after India had initially found themselves at 33 for three. Walking in after Rohit’s (131) dismissal, Sarfaraz forged a crucial stand with Ravindra Jadeja (112) as India posted 445 in the first innings. Sarfaraz’s 48-ball fifty was also the joint-second quickest for India on Test debut.
After setting a 557-run target, courtesy of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s second-innings double hundred (214 not out), India pulled off their biggest Test win ( runs) as England folded for 122. Jadeja, who scored a vital hundred earlier in the game, revelled with the ball on his home ground with figures of five for 21.

Iss 6️⃣ ka raaz sirf – ke pass hai! 🤌🏻
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“We have seen him (Jadeja) the years. He understands conditions and his gane really well. This is his home ground and he knows it better than most. Of late, he has scored runs here and outside India,” Rohit remarked.
With India taking the lead in the series after staging a comeback in the first innings, Rohit said: “It is a good feeling to win a game like that. Especially with a young team. Not lot of matches among them. We learned a lot from playing in Hyderabad and Vizag. We knew it was not going to be easy to come here and win the series. Lots of credit to the young boys. They have shown character, and they belong here and want to belong here as well. We talk about benchstrength, and we saw it.”
Root Shot – Lot of success, but turning point?
Meanwhile, England captain Ben Stokes admitted that Joe Root’s first-innings dismissal against Jasprit Bumrah was a pivotal moment in the match. Attempting an extravagant reverse ramp early on day three, Root holed out to Jaiswal in the slip-cordon, drawing criticism on his shot selection.
“Yeah, because he got out to it, definitely was a turning point. Joe Root’s scored nearly 12,000 runs, I think we can leave the decision-making and ‘why’ with Joe. I can understand why there would be frustration around that because of how good a player Joe is,” Stokes said.
“Jasprit Bumrah has got him out a couple of times this tour early on. And I thought Joe was looking really, really good at the crease, and he sensed that as a time to put something different back onto Jasprit and make him maybe think about something. Because what that shot does for Joe is it makes fields change, makes bowlers mindset change towards him. He got out to it, and it’s not a shot you necessarily see Test match players playing. But look, who am I to question a guy who has 30 Test match hundreds, nearly 12,000 Test match runs. I think he knows what he’s doing,” Stokes added.