Sarfaraz khan or Shubman who must play in IND vs ENG 2nd Test? India’s Test team looks fragile as its middle order is reeling due to injuries. Long story short, ahead of the first Test it was England who was under pressure as they were thinking how they will tackle India’s lethal spin attack in the duration of these five Tests. The Indian team was quite successful in keeping the ‘Bazball’ team under check by restricting them to 246 runs total. And the hosts were quite confident of repeating the heroics of the first innings in the second innings as well. But as it is said when your opponent is England you can’t expect a gala time on the field.
During the second innings, Ollie Pope came out with a perfect strategy to tackle India’s spin attack. He timed the shots perfectly & was successful in scoring 196 runs. The way Pope made the mockery of spinners & tackled the obstacles with gut was outstanding. The way England is playing Test Cricket is reforming & the Indian team needs to up their game & match their standards in the second Test if winning & leveling the series is on their mind. They need to be attacking instead of Defensive if reaping the fruits of success is their agenda.
Defensive Approach of Indian team- Not a Good Idea at All!
Notably, the Indian team suffered a humiliating defeat in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 due to their defensive approach. They need to play a fearless brand of cricket in all formats of the sport & that is what India needs to do in the second Test as well.
What is the Mantra for Stokes & CO’s Success?
Despite the poor show in the first innings of the Hyderabad Test, Stokes allowed his players to play their natural fearless game. He was not resistant in giving a ball to Tom Hartley despite returning with figures of 2-131. He allowed Pope to sweep & reverse sweep Indian spinners in his way.
And Rohit Sharma should adopt the same approach if he wants to succeed in the second Test. But certain players in India’s batting order are facing a lean phase & they need to be replaced with fresh faces if they aim to play a fearless brand of cricket. India reaped the benefits of his fresh approach during the Australia tour of 2020-2021 when Rahane was leading the Indian team. It was the series where India defeated Australia by 2-1 in their backyard.
Virat’s absence is an opportunity for Sarfaraz Khan & Rajat Patidar
India’s backbone, Virat Kohli will continue to miss the second Test as well. Adding to India’s woes is the absence of India’s key players like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, KL Rahul & Kuldeep Yadav who are nursing their respective injuries. In their absence, the players who were benched came into the playing XI during the first Test. They not only performed but displayed the best performances which will remembered for years to come.
These players were none other than Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan, and Mohammed Siraj. They were not India’s first choice playing XI but injuries to key players provided them an opportunity to show their prowess in the longest format of cricket. Similarly, Indian team management should think of accommodating fresh faces in the Playing XI by resting their out-form players from the lineup.
Sarfaraz Khan is one freshly brewed batter who can be tested in the second Test. Sarfaraz’s capability of churning a plethora of runs from the willow is not hidden from the world around. He has scored plenty of runs in the Ranji Trophy, India A cricket, and other domestic tournaments. He has waited for long to get the maiden call-up & his non-selection to the National setup was baffling for many players.
He has piled up huge scores in the past three Ranji Trophy Seasons. But what makes him stand out in the crowd is his courage to step up & deliver in crunch situations. He is not afraid of taking risks & attacks the opponents bowling when it’s least expected.
Stats of Sarfaraz Khan does the talking for him
Coming to the numbers, Sarfaraz has featured in 45 first-class matches amassing 3912 runs at an excellent average of 69.85. He has 14 centuries & 11 fifties in his kitty with the highest score of an unbeaten 301. He has an enticing average of 82.45 in first-class cricket in 2020. This is an incredible feat that selectors have continued to ignore since 2020. In 2019-2020, Sarfaraz amassed 928 runs in just 9 innings. In 2021-22, he smashed 982 runs at an average of 122.75. He was a big reason why Mumbai reached the final before losing it to Madhya Pradesh. Notably, Sarfaraz is the first batter to score 900+ runs in two successive Ranji Trophy seasons.
Sarfaraz khan can come in place of KL Rahul to spread his magic in the 2nd Test. The time when regulars such as Shubman Gill & Shreyas Iyer are failing to deliver consistently, Sarfaraz Khan can be allowed to prove his prowess with the willow. Rajat Patidar & Sarfaraz Khan who are bagging huge figures in domestic cricket can be tested in the second Test. It’s time that Indian management allows new players just a chance to show what they can do in front of fearless opponents like England.
Same thing England did when they handed the debut to Hartley & rehan Ahmed who just had one Test experience in his kitty. They have delivered because the team has shown faith in their abilities. This kind of approach is what the Indian team needs at the moment. Indian team must stop thinking about the results & must back the abilities of Sarfaraz & Rajat.
What is Shubman Gill & Shreyas Iyer’s Current Form?
Shubman Gill is facing a lean phase since 2023. In 11 Test innings since June 2023 he has just scored 173 runs at an average of 17.30 with the highest score of 36. Shreyas on the other hand hasn’t played any good knock since the one against Bangladesh in 2022. His last few scores read as 4, 12,0, 26, 31, 6, 0, 4 not out, 35, 13.
Here it is clear that the two are facing tough times & need to be rested for a while so that they can bounce back stronger. Head Coach, Rahul Dravid & Captain Rohit Sharma must think about their form & must grant them rest giving a nod to fresh talent. Players like Rajat Patidar & Sarfaraz Khan should be given their dream debut Cap so that they can step up & deliver on the big stage. It’s time for the stars to shine bright & take the Indian team towards glory.
Here’s what India’s playing 11 should look like for IND vs ENG 2nd Test
Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, KS Bharat, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav
What is your take about Sarfaraz Khan & rajat Patidar? Shouldn’t they get their dream Test Debut Cap & feature in India’s Playing XI?
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