IND vs NZ: Sarfaraz Khan hits maiden Test century

Hyderabad: Indian batter Sarfaraz Khan scored his maiden international Test hundred in the ongoing India vs New Zealand first Test match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.

When persistent rain forced an early lunch on the fourth day of the first Test, Sarfaraz was batting on 125 off 154 balls. His knock included 16 fours and three sixes and the right handed batter was striking at a healthy strike rate of 81.16.

The 26-year-old middle order batter brought up his first Test century in 110 balls with the help of 13 fours and three sixes.

Sarfaraz’s maiden Test century has come in his seventh Test innings for India. He made his debut against England in Rajkot earlier this year. His previous highest was the unbeaten 68 he made in his debut Test. He scored 62 in the first innings in the same Test.

Sarfaraz played all three Test matches against England but missed out on a spot in the Indian team in the recently-concluded Test series against Bangladesh.

Against New Zealand, Sarfaraz got an opportunity to come into the playing XI after Shubman Gill was left out as he was nursing a stiff neck.

In the first innings of the ongoing Test at Bengaluru, Sarfaraz was one of the five batters to get out on a duck. India could only manage a paltry 46 in their first innings.

However, in the second innings, the Indian batters, including Sarfaraz, put on an improved show.

When lunch was taken on the fourth day, India were just 12 runs adrift of New Zealand, losing three wickets.

During the course of his century, Sarfaraz became the 22nd Indian batter to score a duck and a century in the same Test match.

He and Virat Kohli added 136 in 163 balls for the third wicket and along with Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz added an unbroken 113 runs for the fourth wicket, when rain stopped play.

Sarfaraz is on the back of a double century in the Irani Cup for Mumbai against Rest of India earlier this month. He scored an unbeaten 222 in the first innings laying the foundation for Mumbai’s win.