Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan don't have a lot in common, but almost nine years ago at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the venue for the first Test between India and New Zealand, they combined to give one of the moments of IPL 2015.
Sarfraz, then 18, while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore had thrashed an audacious 21-ball 45 not out which included a number of physics-defying shots. While walking back to the change room, he was greeted by an awe-struck Kohli, the captain then, who appreciated his innings with folded hands and a bow. The video quickly went viral.
Kohli and Sarfaraz's paths haven't crossed a lot since their RCB days which ended after Sarfaraz was released in 2018. It was fitting that the first time that they were batting together in an international game was at the very ground where they had shared a lovely moment all those years back.
When the two got together, India were in a spot of bother trailing New Zealand by 261 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma had fallen in quick succession after a good start and that meant, Sarfaraz and Kohli had to do the rebuilding exercise. What they had in their favour was a pitch which had settled down. What they had to overcome was scoreboard pressure, and maybe a demons or two.
Kohli and Sarfaraz were two of the five India batters to fall for a duck in the first innings where India were bundled out for 46. Kohli had not scored a fifty in a Test match in 2024. It didn't seem like he's been out of form but he wasn't converting his starts as comfortably as when he was at his peak. He's also had to miss a few games for personal reasons. Sarfaraz has been fighting for his place in the India side since making his debut against England last year. There is a chance he wouldn't even have been in the playing XI had Shubman Gill been fit. But the way the two of them played belied the pressure that was on them.
Former India batter also said Rohit Sharma played as if he was coming off a hundred in his last game
After four balls of staunch defence, Sarfaraz went to his favourite sweep shot taking Ajaz Patel for back-to-back fours. It was an important passage of play. Ajaz was the one who had dismissed the Indian openers, and but all of a sudden he was not allowed to settle into any sort of rhythm. Kohli, who was on 9 off 22 at the time having played a few tentative strokes, laced Will O'Rourke for a delightful cover drive. And when Sarfaraz guided the quick bowler past the slips the Chinnaswamy Stadium which had been silenced for a bit, found its voice again.
It wasn't a roar just yet. More of a hum. Sometimes that's what the scoreboard does. India had reached 121 for 2, were going at close to 4.70 runs an over, but were still behind by 235 runs. Then came two shots from Sarfaraz, which wound the clock back right to 2015. Both shots came in an O'Rourke over. Both shots highly unconventional for a Test match.
O'Rourke tried testing Sarfaraz with a bouncer, but the line was outside off and with the pitch not as quick, the batter used all the pace on offer to ramp him for six. Two balls later, O'Rourke went short again. This was a quicker bouncer aimed right at Sarfaraz's body. But he arched back, and while almost ducking, plopped the face of the bat in the same path as the ball and got it over the keeper's head even as he was falling onto his backside.
This was the moment. Kohli was in splits. Bengaluru was delirious.
By this time, Kohli also wanted to join in on the fun. As Ajaz came on to bowl his 11th over, he jumped down the track and smashed the left-arm spinner for a straight six. But it was the reaction after the shot which showed that he was zoned in. Kohli took a step to his right, adjusted the straps of his gloves and just nodded while looking at Sarfaraz. The next ball, out came a sweep through square leg which brought up the fifty partnership off just 45 balls before Kohli ended the over with another four through long leg.
In all this, the crowd made sure to make their presence felt. They were quiet for most of the day with New Zealand and Rachin Ravindra piling on the runs, so much so that when the India innings began even the forward defence was met with a loud roar. When Kohli and Sarfaraz finally got things going India's way, pandemonium set in.
The 'RCB, RCB' chants came up but were soon replaced by 'India, India'. The Bharat Army was singing its songs, the Mexican wave lasted for a good half an hour, the noise from the dhols was deafening and in all this, Sarfaraz and Kohli carried on.
The camaraderie between the two was also very much visible. The first ball of the 45th over by O'Rourke was a wayward short ball well down leg. Sarfaraz instinctively flapped at the ball to no avail, and then sheepishly glanced at Kohli, knowing he had erred with 15 minutes left for stumps. Kohli unimpressed, looked to his right and almost immediately broke into a wide grin without saying much.
The duo added 136 runs for the third wicket and reduced the deficit to 125. It would have been a near-perfect day for the two if not for Kohli falling off the final ball. But they will know that with their backs to the wall, they have helped India dream the unthinkable. Only once in the history of Test cricket has a team won after falling for less than 46 in the first innings. That happened in 1887. If Sarfaraz can last for any length of time and help the hosts take a sizeable lead, Bengaluru could witness some unprecedented scenes in the next couple of days.