Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar wasn’t impressed when Sarfaraz Khan ended up losing his wicket right after the tea break on the second day of the fifth Test between India and England in Dharamsala earlier this month.
The 26-year-old Sarfaraz was batting well when he ended up directing an easy catch to Joe Root at slip off the bowling of spinner Shoaib Bashir. He was on 56.
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The manner of dismissal irked Gavaskar who pointed out how Sarfaraz shouldn’t have been eager to play a shot so early into the final session of the play.
“The ball was pitched up, it wasn’t short enough for that shot. Goes for it and pays the price. I mean you are playing the first ball after tea. Give yourself a little sighter,” said Gavaskar on air.
And then Gavaskar recalled a conversation with the legendary Don Bradman who told him how he always considered himself batting on 0 even if he had made 200 runs.
“Don Bradman said to me, ‘Every ball that I face, even if I am on 200, I think I am on 0.’ And here is (Sarfaraz), playing such a shot first ball of the session,” said Gavaskar.
According to a report in The National News, Gavaskar had a chat with Sarfaraz ahead of the 5th Test about the importance of shot selection.
The meeting in Dharamsala between the two was set up by Shyam Bhatia, a businessman who reportedly had first introduced Sarfaraz – when he was just 14 years old – to Gavaskar.
“Sunil was telling him that the most important thing is selection of shots,” Bhatia was quoted as saying by the publication. “It is very important. He was talking to him for around 45 minutes. Then in the match, immediately after tea he got out to a very stupid shot.”
“Sunil was so angry, and asked on commentary what he was doing. The next day, Sarfaraz was with me again and said, ‘Sir, please say sorry to Mr Gavaskar – I made a mistake! I won’t make that mistake again,’” Bhatia added.
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