After a long wait to get into the playing XI, batsman Sarfaraz Khan justified his selection with a 62 in his debut innings, in the third IND vs ENG Test in Rajkot, on Thursday. While his debut was sweet, his journey to India cap wasn’t smooth at all.
Not many know that Safaraz’s father Naushad had humble beginnings, before moving to Mumbai, from Azamgarh. As per various reports, he would sell cucumbers and track pants on local trains. The struggle continued when Sarfaraz, despite making a mark in the domestic circuit, wasn’t getting a call up to the Indian team.
For reasons unknown, he was being overlooked. But in an interview with The Indian Express in 2022, Naushad opened up on how Sarfaraz consoled him.
“We came from the slums, used to stand in queues for the toilet where my sons would be slapped and overtaken. We came from nothing and will go back to nothing. Sarfaraz told me one day, ‘Abbu so what if this (playing for India) doesn’t happen. We can always go back to selling track pants.”
This just exemplifies the grit he showed in his debut innings as well, when the chips were down. He strung a partnership of 77 with Ravindra Jadeja, where he did bulk of the scoring, before eventually getting run out.
