Sarfaraz Khan was the star for India with the bat as his 150 and important partnership with Rishabh Pant (99), gave India a glimmer of hope in the just-concluded first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru.
Sarfaraz took the attack to New Zealand bowlers as India tried to post a big total in their second innings to put pressure on New Zealand. However, once Sarfaraz and Pant fell, New Zealand wrapped up India's innings for 462 runs. Then after the loss of two early wickets, the Kiwis managed to register an 8-wicket win in the first Test to go 1-0 up in the three-Test series.
Sarfaraz, who is known for his massive scores in domestic cricket, finally demonstrated what he is capable of and what awaits him in international cricket. And it appears that Sarfaraz has already begun prepping for the highly anticipated Border Gavaskar Trophy. The series between India and Australia begins on November 22.
Sarfaraz Khan is now seeking assistance from a chef, as suggested by wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, in order to prepare for the roughly two-month-long five-match Test series against Australia.
Suryakumar Yadav, who has seen Sarfaraz up close, revealed that Rishabh Pant gave the 26-year-old with a chef to help him become fit.
"Sarfaraz is working on his fitness with the Indian team strength and conditioning coach and Rishabh (Pant) has provided him with a chef who is taking care of his food. The intent is that by the time he reaches the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, his body is in better shape. Fitness is important in this sport as he gets older, his body will change. He is working hard now, he will be fine in future,” Suryakumar Yadav was quoted by Indian Express.
It is important to mention that Sarfaraz has been criticized for his fitness in the past. Talking about the same, Suryakumar Yadav labeled it as an "unfair perception."
“His body type might make him look fat but if you ask him to bat 450 balls, score double hundred, triple hundred, daddy hundred, he has that skill. I think the team has a similar demand to make big hundreds, play game-changing knocks… I have never seen him skipping practice even on match day. If there is a game, he will get up at 5 am, bat for one hour near his home, and then join the team bus. After the game he will go to the nearby ground and bat again," said Suryakumar Yadav.
Last year, when there was continual talk about Sarfaraz Khan, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar spoke out in support of the young Indian batter, lashing out at the fat-shaming.
Speaking to India Today, Sunil Gavaskar said, "If you are looking for only slim and trim guys, then might as well go to a fashion show and find some other models and give a bat and ball in their hands and then improve them. That’s not the way cricket goes.
You have cricketers in all shapes and sizes. Don’t go by the size, go by the scores or wickets. He is not staying off the field when he scores a hundred. He is back on the field again. So, all that tells you is that the man is fit.”
The second Test between India and New Zealand is to be played in Pune from October 24 onwards.
