Sarfaraz Khan has made an eletrifying start to his career: Uthappa ...

India vs England: Sarfaraz Khan impressed on his debut on Day 1 of the third Test match in Rajkot. Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa lauded the batter and said that he had made an electrifying debut.

Sarfaraz Khan celebrates his half century on debut. (Reuters Photo)

26-year-old Sarfaraz Khan made his much-anticipated Test debut in Rajkot on Thursday, 15 February. The right-hander scored a riveting half-century on Day 1 of the third Test match between India and England. Sarfaraz scored his fifty in 48 balls and did not look jittery for the majority of his innings.

The batter came into the crease after the dismissal of captain Rohit Sharma. England expected India to get into a shell but Sarfaraz Khan hammered them from the very start of his innings. Stepping down the ground against James Anderson, hitting the spinners down the ground while keeping busy in the crease, Sarfaraz put on a spectacle at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.

Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa lauded the batter for making an electrifying debut in international cricket.

"Woah! In a flash, Sarfaraz sprints to a 50 on his debut! What an electrifying start to his international career. Here's to many more," Uthappa wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

Woah! In a flash, Sarfaraz sprints to a 50 on his debut! ?? What an electrifying start to his international career. ?? Here's to many more. ????#INDvENG — Robin Aiyuda Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) February 15, 2024

| Rajkot Test, Day 1 Scorecard |

Sarfaraz had been toiling in the domestic arena for 10 years. The Mumbai batter had put up sensational efforts in the last three seasons in the Ranji Trophy. Sarfaraz recorded two 900+ runs seasons in the past three years and had been knocking at the door of the Indian team. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan lauded the batter's tenacity and praised him for his consistency in the domestic arena.

IND vs END, 3rd Test Day 1: Live updates

Keep grinding in domestic cricket, and your chance to shine for Team India will come. Sarfaraz Khan’s standout performance today is a testament to that. A well-deserved half-century!

The fans were elated by Sarfaraz's performance as well and lauded him for looking like a seasoned cricketer and not a debutant during his innings. India needed their youngsters to shine

"Nothing about this batting by Sarfaraz tells you he is on Test debut, played like someone who belongs all the while," a Twitter user reacted to Sarfaraz's batting.

On his debut innings, Sarfaraz scored 62 runs off just 66 balls. The batter was run out due to a mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja. Sarfaraz, standing at the non-striker's end had stormed off for a run on Jadeja's call, but the the India all-rounder backed out after taking a few strides out of his crease. This put Sarfaraz in a heap of trouble and the debutant was not able to turn around and make it back to the crease against a direct throw from Mark Wood.

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