Finally, the calls to draft Sarfaraz Khan in the Test team were answered, as the management included him in the playing XI for the third IND vs ENG Test in Rajkot, on Thursday. But no one can really deny, that it took some time coming. The 26-year-old should have made his debut earlier than this for sure.
But now that it’s come, Sarfaraz joins an elite list of players, who had averages of over 60 in first-class cricket, when they made their debuts for India. As per Cricbuzz, the Mumbai player averaged 69.85 in 45 matches before being handed the India cap. His teammate Shubman Gill played his first Test, averaging 68.78 in 23 FC games.
The legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who made his debut in 1989 against Pakistan, averaged 70.18 in 9 FC matches. Prior to that, Rusi Modi, who played for India in the 40s and 50s, averaged 71.28 in 38 FC games, before his international debut.
The others on the list are Yashasvi Jaiswal (80.21 in 15 matches), Praveen Amre (81.23 in 23 matches), and Vinod Kanbi (88.37 in 27 matches). Having said that, what really separates Sarfaraz from the rest is, that he maintained his class in the FC cricket for a longer span and has maintained his high average for 45 matches.
