Wronged Sarfaraz Khan Gets A Second Chance!

Sarfaraz Khan is back in the running for a middle-order slot in the national team. If he gets a chance, he will have to call the shots against Sri Lanka in the two-Test series. With left-hander Devdutt Padikkal, a like-for-like replacement for the injured Sai Sudharsan, having firmed up his place for the opening Test at Galle with a bright century in the warm-up, India can only look at Khan as another specialist batter option. The door is ajar for him, and it’s up to him to force his way in and deny the selection committee the leeway to overlook him for future Test match duties. Two years ago, the selection committee wrongfully sidelined Khan after the third Test against New Zealand in early November 2024. After a spectacular 150 in the second innings of the first Test, he did not get a fifth innings, thanks to the blunder by the team management to opt for turning tracks in Pune and Mumbai. New Zealand’s left-arm finger spinners, Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel, outwitted the Indian batters. India has played 15 Tests since that disastrous home series (0-3 loss) against New Zealand, and Khan — though in the squad for the five-Test series in Australia — has not played any. Khan’s scores after the 150 at the M Chinnaswamy were 11, 9, 0, 1. Even Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli floundered against Santner and Patel. Khan has fallen to the spinners seven times in his 12 Test innings, and he will be up against a home team’s spin attack that has accounted for 264 victims at home in the last five and a half years, as against 63 by the fast men. So, Khan has his task cut out if he gets a chance!