Team India captain Rohit Sharma has hinted at the starting XI that will play in the upcoming first Test match of the two-match series against Bangladesh. Rohit Sharma indirectly revealed that young Indian players Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel are unlikely to be part of the starting XI for the series.
Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel made their debut in the Test series against England earlier this year. They got the opportunity to represent the national team in the absence of key players. With the return of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, there is uncertainty over their place in the starting XI.
We have seen what we can do with the bat – Rohit Sharma
At the pre-match press conference, Rohit Sharma praised young players Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan ahead of the Test series.
Rohit said Jaiswal and Jurel have the potential to play all three formats and added that they are very hungry to play cricket for India.
“When we played the last series in India, a lot of players were injured, unavailable and missed the competition due to various reasons. There are injuries, few players are in the NCA but most of them are here. We have to pick an XI based on how we want to play and which one gives us the best chance of winning the Test,” Rohit said.
“There is no need to tell them too much. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel are new to Test cricket. We have seen what we can do with the bat and Jurel with the bat and behind the stumps. They can play in all three formats.”
“It all depends on what you think in your mind. They are very keen to play cricket for India, they are hungry for success,” Rohit added.
Sarfaraz scored two half-centuries in his first Test match for India. Khan has scored 200 runs in five innings at an average of 50.00, including three half-centuries. Meanwhile, Jurel has amassed 190 runs in four innings at an average of 53.67. He was named Man of the Match in his second Test match.
We have that mix of everything – Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma said Yashasvi Jaiswal had a good series against England and Dhruv Jurel performed well under pressure.
Rohit stressed that the team has a mix of fearless, cautious and responsible players, adding that this balance is a positive sign.
“Jaiswal had a very good series last time. Jurel got runs under pressure. Sarfaraz Khan is brave and doesn’t worry too much about what’s happening outside. You need all kinds of players who are brave, cautious and responsible as well. We have that mix of everything and it’s a good sign,” Rohit added.
Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a record 712 runs in the five-match Test series against England. The left-handed batsman hit two double hundreds during the series. In total, the southpaw has scored 1,028 runs in 9 Test matches at an average of 68.53, including three centuries and four half-centuries.
Also Read: Watch: Shadab Khan defeats Shaheen Afridi in Champions Cup; Pakistan Pacer is shocked