Sarfaraz Khan’s authoritative double hundred for Mumbai not only put Rest of India under severe pressure in the ongoing Irani Cup, but will also keep the seasoned KL Rahul on his toes before Team India embarks on the Test tour of Australia next month.
Sarfaraz (221 batting off 276 balls) became the first cricketer to score an Irani Cup double hundred for Mumbai, with the 42-time champions reaching 536/9 at the end of Day II.
Wasim Jaffer (Vidarbha), Ravi Shastri, Praveen Amre and Yashasvi Jaiswal (all for Rest of India) are double-centurions in the Irani Cup.
It has been a tough week for Sarfaraz as his younger brother Musheer, who was also supposed to play, was ruled out of competitive cricket for 16 weeks after a road accident. His brother and father Naushad’s car accident obviously perturbed him, but Sarfaraz’s batting remained unaffected as he went hammer and tongs at the Rest of India bowling attack.
He played 160 dot balls, yet maintained a strike rate of 80, largely due to his 25 boundaries and four sixes. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane (97 off 234 balls) missed out on a 40th first-class hundred, but Sarfaraz — in a mood to punish quicks and spinners alike — was the hero on the second day.
His 15th first-class century will certainly dispel all doubts about his slot as a reserve middle-order batter for the remainder of the Test season (eight games).
KL Rahul, who regained his middle-order slot, did well in Kanpur against Bangladesh, but Sarfaraz is certainly breathing down his neck.
Brief scores: Mumbai 536/9 (Sarfaraz Khan 221 batting, Ajinkya Rahane 97; Mukesh Kumar 4/109) vs Rest of India. At stumps, Day II.
PTI