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Former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali opined that Team India's youngster Sarfaraz Khan needed to work on playing the drive. He suggested that bowlers would look to target the right-handed batter's weakness in the coming matches.
Basit mentioned that Sarfaraz is very strong with shots like the pull, cut and scoop but driving the ball remains a concern. In his latest YouTube video, the cricketer-turned-expert said (from 7:22):
"The weakness that I noticed in him is that he is a little dodgy while playing the drive. He hits cut, pull and scoop beautifully but is not very good with his drives."
Sarfaraz shone with the bat in India's second innings of the ongoing Test series opener against New Zealand in Bengaluru. The 26-year-old notched up his maiden century in international cricket, scoring 150 runs off 195 balls.
Pointing out how Sarfaraz changed his approach while batting alongside Rishabh Pant on Day 4, Basit said:
"Compared to yesterday, Sarfaraz played differently today. He was hitting sixes yesterday, but today, he played with caution. He wanted to play ball-to-ball till the time Rishabh Pant was at the crease."
Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant formed a stunning 177-4 run partnership for the fourth wicket, giving the home team some hope. However, New Zealand turned things around with the second new ball, bundling out for 462.
The Black Caps need to chase down a 107-run target on Day 5 to clinch their first Test win on Indian soil since 1988.
"He showed that the performers of domestic cricket are true performers" - Basit Ali on Sarfaraz Khan
Basit Ali also spoke about how Sarafraz Khan proved that domestic cricket stars have the ability to do well at the highest level. He reserved high praise for Sarfaraz and Rishabh Pant for their batting exploits against New Zealand.
Basit remarked in the aforementioned video:
"Their partnership was brilliant. It was a privilege to watch their knocks, especially Sarfaraz Khan's. He showed that the performers of domestic cricket are true performers. He scored a century at No. 4, just like how Kamran Ghulam did for Pakistan. He has tasted success in domestic cricket so he knows how to tackle the spinners and fast bowlers."
Sarfaraz Khan is off to a flying start in his Test career. The middle-order batter has three half-centuries and one century to his name from seven innings.
