‘I thought, got into a shell…….’ – Anil Kumble opens up after Sarfaraz Khan’s run out on Test debut

Former India cricketer Anil Kumble feels that he has passed down bad luck to Test debutant Sarfaraz Khan, who got run out the same way he did in his debut Test game. Notably, the 26-year-old batter finally got the chance to be in the Test squad, where he made crucial 62 runs from 66 balls and stitched the great stand with Ravindra Jadeja to keep India in the dominant position.

However, legendary cricketer Anil Kumble says that Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan was creating a great partnership with star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Still, he cannot make decisions when he loses his wicket in his debut game.

“Sarfaraz was dominating the partnership but Jadeja, I thought, got into a shell, which sometimes creates a mindset where you are not clear about the decision-making. Maybe, that was one of the reasons and possibility I passed on my bad luck of my debut run-out to Sarfaraz!,” Anil Kumble said on Jio Cinema.

Brilliant batting from Sarfaraz Khan: Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble heaps praise on the stylish right-handed batter and says that he never feels it was Sarfaraz Khan’s first Test innings, thanks to the magnificent and fearless batting. In addition to this, the cricketer-turned-analyst feels that Sarfaraz Khan was batting with a free-flowing mindset and was able to dominate England’s spinner brilliantly in the game. The 53-year-old cricketer also talks about the shots played by Sarfaraz Khan in the first innings against England in Rajkot.

“It never looked like it was his (Sarfaraz’s) first Test innings. We all know about the talent he has and we have seen him dominate spin at the domestic level. But at the Test level, you need a completely different mindset and to have that approach and play that free-flowing innings was brilliant. Mark Wood certainly tested him, but coming in and dominating the spinners was outstanding. And the way he batted – more than a run a ball with the kind of shot selection, he was very assured in his approach. Brilliant batting from Sarfaraz,” he added further.