As the third India vs England Test got underway in Rajkot, the focus is majorly on the Indian middle order which embodies fresh faces, namely Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel. While Patidar is just one Test old, debuts were handed to the other two before the action unfolded at Niranjan Shah Stadium.
It was a moment to cherish for both youngsters who have been toiling hard in the domestic circuit for years. Sarafarz’s father, Naushad, was present on the field and couldn’t hold back his tears when the batter received his cap from legendary spinner and former captain Anil Kumble.
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Meanwhile, the commentators – former England spinner Graeme Swann and former India head coach Ravi Shastri – had an interesting discussion over Sarfaraz Khan’s achievements in the domestic circuit. The Mumbai batter has so far played 45 games and has accumulated close to 4000 runs and struck 14 centuries. But interestingly, his record in the past two Ranji Trophy seasons has been exceptionally brilliant. He scored more than 900 runs at an average of more than 150 and the stats were enough to earn praise from Swann during the commentary.
“This lad has been making a lot of runs, make no mistake about it. Look at that, an average of 154. Phew. Some of those numbers are absolutely bonkers,” said Swann on air.
Shastri added to it saying, “He’s been banging at the door for some time now. Literally waiting for the selectors to look at those scores and give him an entry, which he has got today.”
Earlier, the hosts found themselves in a grim situation after opting to bat first on a batting-friendly Rajkot strip. Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) and Shubman Gill (0) fell prey to Mark Wood within the first six overs and then Tom Hartley took down Rajat Patidar (5), reducing India to 33/3 in 8.5 overs. But instead of sending Sarfaraz, the management decided to promote Ravindra Jadeja at number 5 and the move worked in India’s favour. The dup of Rohit Sharma and Jadeja stitched an unbeaten 60-run stand for the fourth wicket before heading for lunch.
Speaking about the change in the batting order, Shastri opined that Sarfaraz should have been sent ahead of Jadeja.
“Weighing the options, I would have gone with Sarfaraz. Very straightforward – making his debut, Day 1 of a Test match, with good batting conditions, a good player of spin. The only reason you can think [of Jadeja batting ahead of Sarfaraz] is the left-hand, right-hand combination. With the spinners out there, I can understand Jadeja could still get a 100 from here. But someone playing his 1st Test match, you want to expose him, and show confidence in him. Go and see what Test cricket is all about and if he passes the test, he will only become a better player,” Shastri added.
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