Sarfaraz Khan got a chance to play in the second Test of the series against New Zealand ahead of KL Rahul. There was doubt in the minds of the fans regarding the choice India could potentially make with Shubman Gill returning to the side. While some felt Sarfaraz deserved to be backed, others felt Rahul deserved some more chances.
Given the negative form of Rahul in the last few matches, many on social media expressed him to be replaced by Gill. Gautam Gambhir in the press conference came to Rahul’s support which led to fans thinking that he could be backed. As it turned out, Sarfaraz was given a chance. Here are the three major reasons why Sarfaraz was backed over Rahul for the second Test.
Better game against spin
KL Rahul is a fine player of spin. However, it was announced that Pune’s wicket would be on black soil which was expected to turn from day one with uneven bounce and a potentially slower nature. Given the conditions, Khan became the obvious pick for the side. While Rahul was capable in such conditions, Khan was a better option.
Rahul does play spin well in his own way. However, Sarfaraz provided the aggressive option against the spin. He could use his feet by stepping out of the crease and often sweeping the bowlers to put them back on pressure. On turning wickets, aggression might be the best option. Hence, the management probably felt Sarfaraz to be a better option.
Current form
Since the start of the year, Khan has been in phenomenal form. The emerging batter has played 8 innings in the year and scored 361 runs at a batting average of 51.54, at a batting SR of 76.16, including a hundred, and 3 fifty-plus scores. These are fine numbers for a middle-order batter. He has shown the application of batting on different kinds of surfaces.
On the other hand, Rahul has 234 runs in 8 innings at a batting average of 33.42, at a batting SR of 68.82, including 2 fifties. While his numbers are good for a middle-order batter, Khan has been a better option, having performed better in the chances he has gotten in the year so far. Hence, Khan was not dropped at the cost of Gill.
Performance in the first Test
Most importantly, Rahul was dropped because of his performance in the first Test of the series. India lost its first-ever Test match against New Zealand at home in years. A big reason behind it was the failure of the batting unit. In the first innings, the home side was reduced to just 46 runs. It was India’s lowest Test total at home. Neither Khan nor Rahul did well in the first innings.
While both of them registered a duck in the first innings, Sarfaraz made a point with the bat in the second innings. He smashed his maiden Test hundred and converted it into a big score of 150(195) which got India closer to NZ. On the other hand, KL failed again with a score of 12(16). He had to be dropped at the cost of Gill, as dropping Sarfaraz did not make sense.
Disclaimer: This exclusive news is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and intuition. While reviewing this information, consider the points discussed and form your own conclusions.
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