Sarfaraz Khan’s father reveals why the batter wears No 97 jersey: ‘Vo mera naam hai…’

India vs England 3rd Test: After multiple hiccups, Sarfaraz Khan finally got the maiden call for India, and what a debut by the Indian batter, who punished England bowlers to score a fast 66 against the best bowling lineup of the world. Sarfaraz Khan's parents, who were present at the stadium were naturally emotional witnessing their son playing in the Indian jersey. Later, Sarfaraz Khan's father Naushad Khan revealed why the batter chose number 97 for his jersey.

India vs England 3rd Test Day 3 Highlights

"Apne dekha hoga unke T-shirt ke peeche jo naam hai naa, number hai naa, vo Nau (9) aur Saat (7) hai. Actually, vo mera he naam hai. Hindi mein aap usko Nau (9) aur Saat (7) padh sakte hai. Toh aisa lagta hai ki bass wahi gaye hai aur main stance liya hoon. Main iss tarike se chauke maar raha hoon, chakke maar raha hoon," NDTV Sports quoted Naushad Khan as saying.

Earlier, Sarfaraz Khan's parents were in tears when he received a Team India cap from legendary Indian cricketer Anil Kumble. Skipper Rohit Sharma spoke with Sarfaraz and acknowledged their hard work and sacrifices for their son.

"Everyone knows what you have done, how much sacrifices and hard work you have done for Sarfaraz. Many many Congratulations to both of you," said Rohit in the video shared by BCCI.

Sarfaraz Khan exhibited an impressive performance, scoring his runs quickly with a striking rate of 93.94. It was evident that he was poised for a remarkable achievement, likely a century in his debut match. However, his innings came to an abrupt conclusion through an unfortunate run-out, extinguishing the anticipation of a celebratory milestone.

India vs England 3rd Test

India stands quite comfortable on Day 3 of the Rajkot Test as young Yashasvi Jaiswal slammed a beautiful century. This is the second consecutive century by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a stunning double century during the second Test match at Vizag.

But, soon Yashasvi Jaiswal had to move back to the pavilion due to injury concerns, raising the heartbeats of Indian fans as the team is already facing multiple setbacks due to the absence of strong players.

Shubman Gill played a responsible innings on Saturday and was batting at 65* at the stumps. Overall Team India is 196/2 on Day 3 and is leading by 322 runs against England.