Former India player Aakash Chopra said Sarfaraz Khan’s dismissal in India’s second innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru could have been a concentration lapse after reaching 150. He added that the middle-order batter went for a drive, a shot which is not his forte and he hardly played during his innings as well.

During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Chopra said, “Test cricket goes like that only. It’s not mandatory to take the new ball but the opposing team took it because they were lagging in the game, they had fast bowlers, and there are slightly brighter chances of wickets falling with the new ball. Then they also bowled with discipline.”

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“The bowling was looking deflated before that but as soon as they got the new ball, there was a spring in the stride, and they were bowling in the right areas. Since he had reached 150, maybe there was a slight concentration lapse, or else he doesn’t play drives. He tries to stand in his position and play behind the wickets, which he did for 150 runs. He hardly played one or two drives. He played one in the first innings and got out. In the second innings, he played another drive, and this was the second, that’s it,” Chopra shared.

In the same discussion, Aakash Chopra also added that Sarfaraz Khan would regret it when he look back on his dismissal.

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“He committed a mistake. When he looks back, he will think the story would have been very different had he spent another one or two hours. Whether you score 400 or 800, you play six batters because of this only. Only three or four score runs. The other two are insurance policy because they have to get out. So whoever scores, has to score a lot. 150 is a lot of runs but since you were behind by 356, you feel a few more could probably have been scored. If they had been scored, the story might have been a little different,” Aakash Chopra concluded.