Sarfaraz Khan's exile is over, and the right-handed batter is back in the Indian squad for the two Tests against Sri Lanka. The Mumbai player replaced the injured Sai Sudharsan in the squad; however, it's unlikely that Sarfaraz will start in the playing XI for the first Test in Galle, beginning August 15. A debate has started over who will be preferred in the lineup: Dhruv Jurel or Sarfaraz. The opinion is split, but former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels that Jurel will start ahead of Sarfaraz.
The 28-year-old Sarfaraz last played for India in the three-match series against New Zealand. He scored 150 runs in the opening match, but poor scores in the next two games led to him warming the bench against Australia. Following the debacle against Australia, Sarfaraz was shown the door from the squad and was on the sidelines for more than a year.
A lot was said about the potential reasons behind Sarfaraz's exclusion. One reported concern was that the team management was not confident in the batter's technique in overseas conditions.
However, Ashwin feels that if that's the case, the messaging from captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir should be clear to Sarfaraz, as the right-hander has it in him to become a king of “sub-continental conditions.”
{{/usCountry}}However, Ashwin feels that if that's the case, the messaging from captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir should be clear to Sarfaraz, as the right-hander has it in him to become a king of “sub-continental conditions.”
{{/usCountry}}“I'll start with Jurel. Sarfaraz came into the squad because of Sai Sudharsan's injury. The messaging is very important for Sarfaraz. If you feel he is a suspect in certain conditions, you need to give him clarity. You need to tell him that he can serve the team in sub-continental conditions," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
So that way, even Sarfaraz won't waste his time on the rest of the things. He can focus on playing good spin, and he can become the king of the sub-continental conditions. He can build his career. If you feel he cannot work in certain conditions, then communicate that to him,” he added.
Why Sarfaraz?
Playing Sarfaraz in Galle won't be that bad an option, considering the batter's gameplay against the spinners. The right-hander can use his feet very well against the spinners and has a knack for forcing the pace.
Moreover, Sarfaraz is one Indian batter who can employ the sweep shot to use, throwing the spinners off their length. On the other hand, speaking of Jurel, the batter has yielded mixed returns, and he even failed to get going in the warm-up match against SLC XI.
Sarfaraz has also batted at No.5 for most of his career; hence, batting at No.6 won't be that alien to the batter, who has the experience of scoring heaps and heaps of runs in domestic cricket for Mumbai and the West Zone.