Sarfaraz stars in Mumbai win

MUMBAI: For any other 16-year-old, this wouldn't have been an easy ask. Despite being India's standout batsman in the Under-19 World Cup, Sarfaraz Khan, for some strange reason, failed to find a spot in the final XI in the Mumbai team in the West Zone T20 league for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
On Wednesday, when he finally got his chance to make his T20 debut for Mumbai, the hosts were in a spot of bother, having lost four wickets for 71 in the 14th over against Saurashtra.Left-arm spinner Arpit Vasvada, who took four for 19, was spitting fire.
Luckily for Sarfaraz, it was the kind of situation that brings out the best in him. The young turk smashed an unbeaten 36 off 20 balls (4x4, 1x6), adding 46 runs in merely 17 balls with Sujit Nayak, whose 23-run cameo took just seven balls (2x4, 2x6), to take Mumbai to 145 for five.
The duo carted 39 off the final two overs of the innings to leave the visitors shell-shocked. Sarfaraz smashed the ball repeatedly over the covers, and even reverse swept Jaidev Unadkat for a boundary on an occasion.
Their star bat Cheteshwar Pujara stroked 62 in the chase, but failed to pace his innings according to the target, consuming 60 balls for his second T20 fifty, which included seven fours and a six.
Credit must be given to seamer Dhaval Kulkarni, who gave away just eight runs in four overs, for keeping Pujara shackled. Mumbai were also boosted by medium-pacer Prathmesh Dhake, who bagged three wickets. Saurashtra eventually finished at 129 for seven, going down by 16 runs.
"It was a mature knock. He played street-smart cricket, and picked the slower balls well to play his shots. He has potential," said Mumbai's interim coach, Lalchand Rajput.
"We hadn't scored much. The wicket wasn't easy, and the ball was turning. I chose to play 'safe' against the spinners, and go after the pacers," said Sarfaraz, admitting he was "under pressure," to "make my place in the team."