After bagging a duck in the first innings, where India were bowled out for 46, Sarfaraz was at the forefront of India\u2019s second innings total of 462 through an attacking 150 \u2013 his maiden Test hundred - laced with 18 fours and three sixes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He wowed cricket fans at M Chinnaswamy Stadium through his cheeky and unorthodox shots, especially through the square region in the off-side. \"Sarfaraz Khan has been denied a place in the Indian team for some years now, despite scoring runs by the hundreds in domestic cricket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"This was largely because those in a position to make decisions believed he didn\u2019t have the slim waist they deemed necessary for international cricket. Sarfaraz\u2019s returns on the field with the bat were even more prodigious than his waistline. Sadly, Indian cricket has had too many decision-makers with ideas that are hard to fathom,\" wrote Gavaskar in his column for Sportstar on Monday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He also cited the example of wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant performing exceedingly well in Tests \u2013 like hitting a fine 99 in Bengaluru and sharing a crucial 177-run stand with Sarfaraz in the second innings \u2013 despite not boasting of a super slim waistline.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Rishabh Pant is another player who doesn\u2019t possess the slim waist that these fitness purists seem to want, but what an impact player he is. Let\u2019s not forget that he also keeps wickets all day, which not only requires getting up and down for around six hours of play but also running to the stumps to gather the throws.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"So, please discard these yoyo-yoyo tests and instead assess how strong a player is mentally. That will be a true indicator of a player\u2019s fitness. If a player can bat the whole day or bowl 20 overs in a day, he is match-fit, regardless of how slim or not his waist is.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Talking of India\u2019s eight-wicket defeat in Bengaluru, Gavaskar wondered if the Rohit Sharma-led side not being able to deal with bounce could send them worried ahead of an all-important trip to Australia later this year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"That their heroics went in vain, as the batters who followed them simply didn\u2019t have the technique or temperament to deal with a pitch that was different from the low-bounce ones where they dominate, only added to the frustration.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"If anything, the way the Indian batting has struggled in Chennai \u2014 where again there was some bounce \u2014 and now in Bengaluru, does make one anxious about what lies in store in Australia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"That their heroics went in vain, as the batters who followed them simply didn\u2019t have the technique or temperament to deal with a pitch that was different from the low-bounce ones where they dominate, only added to the frustration.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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