NEW DELHI: Rising Indian cricketer Sarfaraz Khan rejoined Team India just a day after becoming the father of a baby boy, making this week one of the most memorable of his life.
The talented batsman, who missed the team’s training session on Tuesday to spend time with his family, returned to training on the optional day ahead of the crucial second Test against New Zealand in Pune on Thursday.
This emotional moment comes on the back of Sarfaraz’s stellar performance in the first Test, where he scored a brilliant 150 in a rain-interrupted match in Bengaluru.
Playing in just his fourth Test since his debut, Sarfaraz called his first century a “dream come true”.
While Sarfaraz’s brilliant form has backed his case, the team management faces a tough decision ahead of the second Test.
KL Rahulwho suffered a disappointing outing in Bengaluru with scores of 0 and 12 is under scrutiny. His struggles in the middle order contributed to India’s collapse, leading to an eventual 8-wicket defeat.
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Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate looked into the selection conundrum, revealing that the head coach Gautam Gambhir is inclined to give Rahul more opportunities.
“Yes, there’s no point sugarcoating it, there’s a battle for a place,” ten Doeschate said on Tuesday. “Sarfaraz was obviously brilliant in the last Test. I went to KL after the last test (and) said how many balls do you play on (and) miss? He didn’t play (and) miss one ball and that’s what usually happens when you don’t go your way.”
“There are certainly no worries about KL, he is batting well, he is in a good mental space. But we will certainly have to put seven figures in six points for this test and look at the pitch now and decide what will be best for the Gauthi team [Gautam Gambhir] wishes to give him a long rope like Sanju [Sanju Samson]”, he added.
Rahul will be eager to recover, knowing that his performance can shape India’s prospects in the three-match series.
With Sarfaraz eager to cement his place and Rahul determined to turn things around, the stage is set for a thrilling second Test in Pune as India look to level the three-match series.
