Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel to make India debut in 3rd England Test at Rajkot - Reports

Sarfaraz Khan along with keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel are all set to make their debut for India in the third Test against England in Rajkot. As per the reports in Indian Express, it is learned that batters they will be playing in place of KL Rahul and KS Bharat respectively. 

As per the reports KL Rahul won’t be playing in the third Test against England. The batter will need one more week to attain his full fitness. He faced quadriceps pain after the first game. Even though he was named in the squad for the last three games, his availability was subject to fitness. 

With KL Rahul getting ruled out of the second match, Sarfaraz Khan is in line to make his debut. A BCCI source told Indian Express: “Sarfaraz will be making his debut. As KL has been ruled out for this Test, Sarfaraz will be getting his first game.” 

It will be a dream come a moment for Sarfaraz Khan as he has been toiling hard in the domestic circuit for a while. The Mumbai batter is touted as the run machine in domestic cricket and since 2019 he has been a different beast in domestic cricket, averaging around 70 in FC cricket.

Sarfaraz Khan was added into the India team ahead of the second Test in Vizag. The batter came in as a replacement for KL Rahul but didn’t play in the game. Team management preferred Rajat Patidar in the mix as he was included ahead of Sarfaraz in the team.

Apart from this reports also claimed that Dhruv Jurel will be making his debut as well. He will be playing instead of KS Bharat, who has failed to make a mark with the bat in the series. The Vizag keeper-batter couldn’t score big in the two games and perished after valiant starts.

KS Bharat came under the radar for his poor performances and it was only a matter of time before he was dropped from the team. It’s fair to say that he was purely picked in the side because of his keeping skills and India didn’t have much options in that department.

I would get emotional about my wait to get into the team – Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan recently spoke about his inclusion into the Indian team. He admitted that he would get emotional when he got his cap as all his hard work would pay off.

“The game is all about patience. If we have to play Test cricket, we have to be patient. In life, there are times when we rush ourselves. I would get emotional about my wait to get into the team. My father always told me that keep working hard and you’ll be unstoppable. Having self belief and patience is very important,” he told the bcci.tv on his Test call.

Sarfaraz Khan will be eager to make a mark with the bat in his debut game. With Shreyas Iyer getting dropped and KL Rahul’s nursing injury, it will be a great opportunity for him to seal his place in the team. His ability to play spin would be key for the side in the match.