"Thumbs up with both thumbs" - Aakash Chopra lauds Sarfaraz Khan's knock in 3rd IND vs ENG Test

Aakash Chopra has lauded Sarfaraz Khan for playing an enterprising knock in India's first innings of the third Test against England.

Sarfaraz scored 62 runs off 66 deliveries as India posted 326/5 at Stumps on Day 1 in Rajkot on Thursday, February 15. He struck nine fours and a six during his innings and added 77 runs for the fifth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja.

Reviewing the first day's play in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was particularly appreciative of Sarfaraz's performance. He elaborated (6:10):

"Sarfaraz Khan became the 311th Indian to play Test cricket. He and his family have put in a lot of hard work. He got to bat when Rohit Sharma got out. He was sent late, he was shielded a little. However, once he came, how well he played. He equalled Hardik Pandya's 48-ball 50 and played in brilliant fashion."

"He dominated spin and didn't make you feel that he was having any trouble. He hit sixes and fours straight down the ground and picked up singles after using his wrists very well. He gladdened our hearts. So Sarfaraz Khan's performance was thumbs up with both thumbs," the former India opener added.

Chopra noted that Sarfaraz could have made an even bigger contribution had he not got run out unfortunately. He observed that the debutant had to pay for Jadeja's mistake.

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"Shubman Gill was looking troubled till the time he was there" - Aakash Chopra

Shubman Gill was caught behind off Mark Wood's bowling. [P/C: BCCI]

On the flip side, Aakash Chopra observed that Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Rajat Patidar proved to be letdowns. He said:

"India's top three wickets broke our spirits. The first wicket fell at 22 in the form of Yashasvi Jaiswal. He got an outside edge off Mark Wood's bowling. Then Shubman Gill couldn't even open his account. Shubman Gill was looking troubled till the time he was there."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Gill's shortcomings against incoming deliveries contributed to his dismissal. He explained:

"He finds himself in difficulties against incoming deliveries and because of that, he was playing inside the line. It was almost identical to the way he got out in the first innings in Visakhapatnam off Anderson's bowling and here it was off Wood's bowling. Rajat Patidar too got out when the ball stuck slightly on the pitch."

Jaiswal, Gill and Patidar's dismissals reduced India to 33/3. A 204-run fourth-wicket partnership between Rohit Sharma (131) and Ravindra Jadeja (110*) bailed the hosts out of trouble before Sarfaraz Khan scored an aggressive half-century.