The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy has India’s cricket team intensifying their training in Perth, Australia. The team kicked off their preparations on Tuesday at the WACA ground, training behind closed doors to keep their preparations private.
Sarfaraz Khan’s injury scare
However, on Wednesday, a concerning incident emerged during the closed-door training session. Middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan was seen holding his right arm, just below the elbow, after apparently taking a blow while batting in the nets. Footage obtained by Fox Sports showed Sarfaraz in visible discomfort as he walked away from the practice.
As per the West Australian, Sarfaraz was seen leaving short balls on the crease and chopping balls outside his off stump onto the wickets. “Sarfaraz Khan looked every bit the batter who hasn’t played outside of the subcontinent. He was caught on the crease fending shortballs and chopping balls outside his off stump onto the wickets” posted the West Australian.
Concerns Over Sarfaraz’s Spot in the Test XI
The 27-year-old Sarfaraz is competing for a spot in India’s Test lineup, having scored a century in the previous series against New Zealand. However, his struggles in the other innings of that series have put his place in jeopardy, especially with the extra pace and bounce expected in Perth. It is a challenge that Sarfaraz needs to overcome as this will be his first series outside of subcontinent.
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KL Rahul or Dhruv Jurel to get the nod?
With the concerns over Sarfaraz’s fitness, India may opt to play Dhruv Jurel, who impressed in the first-class game against Australia at the MCG, instead of Sarfaraz for the first Test. The team management will be closely monitoring Sarfaraz’s condition leading up to the match. Apart from this, Sarfaraz’s direct opponent for that number six spot is KL Rahul. While Rahul isn’t in any great form either, he is an all-phase batter for India and has done well in tough conditions.
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