DHARAMSHALA: India must be more than pleased with the way a feisty Sarfaraz Khan and the smooth Devdutt Padikkal steadied the ship in the middle session of Day 2 here. The record 14,800 who attended the day’s play will have gone back with the assurance that Test cricket’s future is in safe hands.
The heart warming aspect of this series win has been a steady emergence of the Gen Next of India’s Test batting. At various moments across these five Tests, they have displayed battle-hardened steel belying their thin experience at this level.
On Friday, Padikkal and Sarfaraz first eased themselves on to the big stage before imposing their presence. Their 97-run stand killed any hopes England’s bowlers may have entertained against India’s middle-order.
That both have come up through the hard yards and the tough grind of domestic cricket, from Ranji Trophy to the India ‘A’ setup to the Test ranks, is testimony that India’s feeder line to the longer format and current selectorial choices continues to be robust.
The nerves were evident but the pair sailed through with dash and vigour. Padikkal was both streaky and elegant, his off-side play exhibiting the smooth timing and languid grace so typical of prolific left-handers.
Sarfaraz, already gaining cult-like popularity, was scrappy and excitable in parts, exhibiting both solid defence, a keen nose for rotating strike and a cocky but refreshing attitude to playing spin bowling.
Sarfaraz ticked off another important box, showing that he can also hold his own against genuine pace, at least on these home pitches. The ramp shot and valiant pull off Mark Wood revealed a character with a gumption for the fight. There is an old-world charm to Sarfaraz’s attitude that makes him an easy fit in red-ball cricket.
“It’s always fun to bat with Sarfaraz,” was all Padikkal would divulge. “He is a great character to have around. We weren’t really discussing the game at all, we just wanted to make sure we made each other comfortable. You are two against 11, so we just tried making each other comfortable.”
Padikkal is already an imposing presence in Karnataka cricket, averaging 92.66 from six innings in this season’s Ranji Trophy, with three hundreds at a strike rate of 76.9. Having played the fewest matches among his teammates and scored the most runs, 566, in the competition, he said he had overcome stomach problems and a Covid infection with “discipline”.
Still, the day wasn’t perfect. Padikkal paid the price for staying back to the spinners and Sarfaraz had a lapse in concentration. If there’s any lesson in this, it’s that Test cricket can be brutal even for men in form. The early pointers, though, are promising.
