'It has taken playing 500 deliveries per day from..' - Coach explains reason behind Sarfaraz Khan's dominant performance in third Test against England

Sarfaraz Khan's impressive debut Test performance against England's spinners wasn't a stroke of luck. It was the result of more than 15 years of dedicated effort, during which he diligently faced 500 deliveries every day under the guidance of his devoted father, Naushad Khan. In his debut Test in Rajkot, Sarfaraz showcased his talent with two confident half-centuries, indicating his readiness to cement his place in the Indian team.

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The 26-year-old earned his Test cap after years of hard work in the domestic circuit and refining his skills at his father's 'Macho Cricket Club'. The years of hard work and strategic preparation, particularly during the two COVID-19 lockdowns, bore fruit against formidable opponents like Tom Hartley, Joe Root, and Rehan Ahmed in Rajkot.

"It has taken playing 500 deliveries per day from off, leg and left-arm spinners across Oval, Cross and Azad Maidans in Mumbai.During (COVID) lockdown, he undertook a car journey covering 1600km. From Mumbai to Amroha, Moradabad, Meerut, Kanpur, Mathura and Dehradun, he travelled and played on proverbial 'akhadas' where the ball turns square with one shooting up and few staying down," said a coach who has seen the Mumbaikar's growth from close quarters.

Sarfaraz played Kuldeep a lot during lockdown: Kapil Pandey

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The Sarfaraz who effortlessly handled the spinners underwent rigorous skill-building. However, the credit for his polished performance doesn't solely belong to Naushad. Coaches like Sanjay Rastogi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), Badruddin Sheikh (Mohammed Shami), Kapil Deo Pandey (Kuldeep Yadav), Sanjay Bhardwaj (Gautam Gambhir), and RP Easwaran (father of India A captain Abhimanyu Easwaran) have also played their part in shaping Sarfaraz's development. They organized net sessions for Sarfaraz against spinners, particularly during the COVID lockdown.

"During lockdown, Naushad called me as we are both from Azamgarh and we played club cricket in Mumbai when I was employed with the Indian Navy. So, when he wanted his son to get practice, I felt it's my duty. During lockdown, Sarfaraz played Kuldeep a lot at our Kanpur Academy. They did lot of net sessions together. I would arrange T20 matches as that season, Mushtaq Ali T20 was main tournament. Having grown up playing on Mumbai's red soil, Sarfaraz has the perfect game against spin and uses his feet well," Kapil Pandey told PTI.