In India's commanding victory over England, newcomers Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sarfaraz Khan played pivotal roles. Despite a delayed opportunity in the first innings, Sarfaraz showcased his batting prowess with impressive half-centuries in both innings. Questions arise regarding India's batting order decisions
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IND VS ENG: Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal may have been the heroes of India’s record 434-run victory over England, but the newcomer Sarfaraz Khan was also a significant contributor. The 26-year-old, who was playing his first Test for India, had a fantastic debut, as his team won and Sarfaraz produced half-centuries in both innings. Sarfaraz scored 62 off 66 in the first innings and was undefeated on 68 off 72 in the second as India defeated England by 434 runs.
While there were no flaws in his hitting, Sarfaraz, who was supposed to bat at No. 5, was forced to wait in the first innings as Ravindra Jadeja was given a batting promotion. India were 33/3, thus the choice made sense because they didn’t want to lose another wicket or put Sarfaraz under pressure. After Jadeja and Rohit Sharma combined for a 204-run partnership for the fourth wicket, the stage was set for Sarfaraz to unleash his booming game. Things were definitely different in the second innings, as India, eager for quick runs, sent Sarfaraz ahead of Jadeja. Rohit revealed the reasoning behind placing Jadeja at No.5 or whether it was a one-time decision considering India’s youthful batting lineup.
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“For this game, we thought he had so much experience and so many runs; we wanted that left-right combo, Sarfaraz being Sarfaraz, and given his quality, we wanted him to have time. We’ve seen what he can accomplish with the bat. [On the batting order] It’s not a long-term approach; we go with the flow and what we feel on that given day, taking into account the opponent and the bowling attack. “We calculated everything and then went with the flow,” Rohit remarked after the game.
Ravi Shastri, the former India head coach, questioned Rohit’s decision, saying on commentary that he would have sent Sarfaraz at No.5 to test the youngster and his mettle in Test cricket, but was proven wrong to some extent when Jadeja scored his fourth Test century. “After weighing the options, I would have chosen Sarfaraz.” Very straightforward: making his Test debut on Day 1 of a match, decent batting conditions, and a good spinner. The only reason you can think of Jadeja batting ahead of Sarfaraz is his left-hand and right-hand combo. With the spinners out there, I believe Jadeja can still achieve a 100 from here. However, when a player is playing his first Test match, you want to expose him and demonstrate trust in him. Go and see what Test cricket is all about; if he passes the test, he will only improve as a player,” Shastri added.
Jadeja was named Player of the Match after striking a century in the first innings and finishing with a five-wicket haul to bowl England out for 122 on Day 4, but Sarfaraz also contributed significantly to India’s victory. The batter, who resembled Rishabh Pant, displayed steel nerves and did not back down. Sarfaraz, known for his dominance over spinners, did just that in both innings, hitting four sixes and essentially securing his position in the Indian middle order for the last two Tests in Ranchi and Dharamsala.
The post Rohit Sharma Backs Debutant Amid Controversy: ‘Sarfaraz Being Sarfaraz’ as India’s Newcomer Hits Consecutive 50s appeared first on Cricket Country.
