Sarfaraz Khan has been named as one of the three replacements for the upcoming second Test against England after KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja were ruled out due to their respective injuries. Sarfaraz Khan has amassed tons of runs in the domestic circuit; but it would be quite tough for him to dictate the terms against Ben Stokes’ brigade.
Sarfaraz Khan has worked very hard- Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh expressed his belief that if Sarfaraz Khan gets a chance to be part of the playing XI, it could be a make-or-break game for the youngster. The 43-year-old said,
“Sarfaraz Khan will have to make the most of this chance because when Virat Kohli returns, someone will have to go out. So, he cannot afford to waste this opportunity. He has worked very hard and piled up a lot of runs in domestic cricket,”
Sarfaraz Khan, with an impressive first-class average of 69.85, has showcased his talent at the domestic level with consistent performances. In his recent outings for India ‘A’ in unofficial Tests against England Lions, the right-handed batter scored 55 and 161 in his last two innings.
Expressing concern over the inexperience of the Indian batting lineup in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul, Harbhajan Singh shared his apprehensions about the upcoming challenges. He said,
“India’s batting looks very weak. Rohit Sharma is the only experienced batter in the squad. After him, if you look at the stats, Ravichandran Ashwin has the most runs under his belt.”
Harbhajan Singh suggested that the Indian team would have presented a stronger unit with the presence of former captain Virat Kohli. The ex-cricketer said,
“There is a lack of experience in this Indian batting lineup. The batting would have looked a lot stronger had Virat Kohli been there. The likes of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have also struggled to get going lately.”
Virat Kohli was initially part of India’s squad for the first two matches of the ongoing five-match home series against England. However, the 35-year-old has opted out of the first two games, citing personal reasons.
It is getting more and more complicated for Team India– Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh expressed concern over the absence of Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul, stating that their non-participation could significantly impact India’s chances, considering their notable performances in the Test series opener.
“Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul were in great form. If you deduct their contributions from the first Test, imagine what would have been the case. It is getting more and more complicated for India, as there is still no clarity over their return,” the former Indian spinner added.
Jadeja sustained a hamstring injury during the Hyderabad Test, while Rahul reported pain in his right quadriceps. In response, India has brought in Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, and Sourabh Kumar as replacements.