Sarfaraz Khan vs Rajat Patidar, Who'll Play 2nd Test? Vikram Rathour makes revelation

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 call on the playing XI for the upcoming match will be made by skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid.

The Indian cricket team started the five-match series against England with a 28-run loss 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 squad after ace batter Virat Kohli withdrew from the first two matches due to personal reasons. Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, and Saurabh Kumar have been added to the squad following Rahul and Jadeja’s injury concerns.

With KL Rahul’s unavailability for the Vishakapatnam Test, either Sarfaraz Khan or Rajat Patidar will have to replace him in India’s batting lineup. Rahul, who batted at No. 4 during the series opener, scored 86 runs but got dismissed while playing an aggressive shot.

It’s Going To Be Tough – Vikram Rathour

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Vikram Rathour emphasized the challenge of choosing between the two talented players, noting that the decision rests with skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid.

“It will be a tough choice. What 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 the last few years. So on these kind of wickets, I think they can really add a lot of value to the team,” Rathour said.

“If you have to pick one, it’s of course going to be tough. But that’s a decision I think Rahul and Rohit Sharma will have to make in a day or so,” he added.

Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan’s Impressive First Class Performances

Rajat Patidar has showcased impressive form in recent performances for India A, notching scores of 111, 151, and 4 against the England Lions. The 30-year-old batter 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 batter boasts an impressive first-class record, amassing 3,912 runs at an average of 69.85 with a strike rate of 70.48, featuring 14 centuries and 11 fifties.

Patidar may be ahead in the pecking order, considering his selection in the squad before Sarfaraz. Nevertheless, Sarfaraz deserved a Test call-up given his consistent run-scoring performances. The team management will find it difficult to pick the debutant.

The second Test between the Rohit Sharma-led team and the Ben Stokes-led team will take place at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, starting on Friday, February 2.

India’s squad 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.

Also read: Sarfaraz Khan declares Rohit Sharma as his favorite player after India call-up