After maiden call-up snub for first two-tests against England, Sarfaraz Khan again smashes 161 against England Lions

When you are being neglected even after performing brilliantly consistently, the best thing you can do is to keep adding on to the good work, and that is exactly what Sarfaraz Khan has done. 

He was the frontrunner to get a maiden call-up for India once the selectors decided to look beyond Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara as he has been churning out runs in the domestic setup for 3-4 years for fun but has been neglected by the Indian selectors for a reason better known to them. 

But after the news of Virat Kohli missing the first two Tests against England broke out, he again got hopeful that this might be a chance for him to break into the Indian test setup. But to his disappointment and many of his fans, Rajat Patidar, who has also been in sublime form lately, was picked by the selectors as the replacement of Kohli for the first two Tests.

Sarfaraz serves selectors a reminder with a majestic 161 against the England Lions

But instead of getting bogged down,  Sarfaraz Khan again made his presence felt with a scintillating 161-run innings against the England Lions on Day 2 of the unofficial Test. After dismissing England for 152 on the first day, India A, commencing the day at 150 without any loss, concluded their innings at 489, securing an impressive 337-run lead in the first innings. This substantial advantage positions them favourably for a potential innings victory.

The experienced Abhimanyu Easwaran (58) and the left-handed Devdutt Padikkal (105) laid a solid foundation with a notable 162-run opening partnership. Capitalizing on favourable batting conditions, Sarfaraz took full advantage, accumulating runs off the Lions spinners who struggled to counter his repeated aggressive onslaught. 

He was even facilitated at the recently heldg annual awards by the Indian Cricket Board for his consistent run in domestic cricket. While Sarfaraz Khan is proving his mettle at the India stage A stage is on the verge of breaking into the Indian national setup his younger brother Musheer Khan is sparkling in the ongoing Under-19 World Cup with a hundred against Ireland.