‘If you score…’: Sourav Ganguly lauds Sarfaraz Khan's Test cricket prowess in IND vs ENG series

India secured a significant victory in the 4th Test against England, triumphing by 5 wickets. After restricting England to 353 and 145 in the first and second innings, India responded with scores of 307 and successfully chased down the 192-run target in their second innings. Dhruv Jurel's outstanding performances, scoring 90 and 39 not out, earned him the Player of the Match title. This win places India in a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, showcasing a thrilling display of Test cricket at JSCA International Stadium Complex. On March 7, 2024, India will take on England for their 5th and final Test match at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala.

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Sourav Ganguly heaps praise on Sarfaraz Khan and believes him to be more of a Test player 

Ganguly has stated that Sarfaraz Khan's style of play is more suited to Test cricket, highlighting his recent performance in Rajkot. Sarfaraz, who earned his Test debut cap from former India captain Anil Kumble, scored back-to-back half-centuries in his first Test match. This feat placed him in good company with cricket legends like as Sunil Gavaskar and  Dilawar Hussain.

Ganguly's comments came ahead of India's forthcoming Test against England on March 7th at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, and they shed light on Sarfaraz's potential in a more extended and tradional format. The 26-year-old's outstanding performance in first-class cricket emphasises his potential for Test cricket, with an amazing record of 4056 runs in 47 matches, an average of 68.74, 14 hundreds, and 13 half-centuries. According to Revsportz, Sourav Ganguly said: 

“I think he’s more of a five-day player. His game is suited for that. T20 is a different format. And the amount of runs he scored in domestic cricket, in the Ranji trophy and in first-class cricket has been phenomenal. And as they say, if you score runs, it doesn’t go to waste. And that’s exactly what’s happened to Sarfaraz,”

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How has Sarfaraz Khan performed for Team India so far? 

In the first innings, Sarfaraz demonstrated his batsmanship by hitting 62 runs before being run out due to a misunderstanding with centurion Ravindra Jadeja. He followed up with an undefeated 68 in the second innings. Notably, Sarfaraz recorded India's second-fastest Test half-century, scoring in just 48 deliveries during the first innings.

During the second innings, he combined with Yashasvi Jaiswal to form an undefeated 172-run partnership that drove India to a dominant total of 430 for 4. This effort inspired skipper Rohit Sharma to declare, giving England a challenging goal of 557 runs to chase down in Rajkot.

In response, England struggled, scoring only 122 runs before being bowled by Indian bowlers on Day 4, leading in India's emphatic victory by 434 runs.

Although Sarfaraz was unable to recreate his previous success in Ranchi, scoring only 14 runs in both innings, he now has the opportunity to conclude the series on a high note as India prepares to play England, after sweeping the five-match Test series 3-1.