Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour spoke about the selection dilemma between Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar for the second Test. Vikram Rathour stated that the final decision on the playing XI for the upcoming match will be taken by captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid.
The Indian cricket team began the five-match series against England with a 28-run defeat at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. To make matters worse, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have been ruled out of the second match due to their respective injuries.
Rajat Patidar was named in the Indian team after batsman Virat Kohli withdrew from the first two matches due to personal reasons. Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar and Saurabh Kumar have joined the team following injury concerns for Rahul and Jadeja.
With KL Rahul not available for the Vishakapatnam Test, Sarfaraz Khan or Rajat Patidar will have to replace him in the Indian batting line-up. Rahul, who batted at fourth during the series opener, scored 86 runs but was dismissed while playing an aggressive shot.
It’s going to be difficult – Vikram Rathour
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Vikram Rathour emphasized the challenge of choosing between the two talented players, pointing out that the decision lies with captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid.
“It will be a difficult decision. The value they bring to the team, of course, is that they are super players. We have seen how well they have done in domestic cricket in recent years. So, on these types of wickets, I think they can really add a lot of value to the team,” Rathour said.
“If you have to choose one, of course it will be difficult. But that is a decision that I think Rahul and Rohit Sharma will have to take in a day or so,” he added.
Stunning top-class performances by Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan
Rajat Patidar has shown impressive form in recent performances for India A, making scores of 111, 151 and 4 against the England Lions. The 30-year-old batsman scored 4,000 runs in first-class cricket at an average of over 45, including 22 fifties and 12 centuries.
On the other hand, Sarfaraz Khan recorded scores of 96, 55, 4 and 161 against the England Lions. The 26-year-old batsman boasts an impressive first-class record, amassing 3,912 runs at an average of 69.85 with a strike rate of 70.48, with 14 centuries and 11 fifties.
Patidar may be ahead in the pecking order, considering his selection in the team ahead of Sarfaraz. However, Sarfaraz deserved a trial call-up given his consistent scoring performances. The team management will have difficulties choosing the debutant.
The second Test between the Rohit Sharma-led team and the Ben Stokes-led team will be held at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, starting from Friday, February 2.
India team for the second Test: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Saurabh Kumar.
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