Team India are anticipated to make as many as 4 modifications to their line-up for the third Test towards England in Rajkot owing to accidents, steadiness and some gamers coming again whereas a few of them are out of shape. With Virat Kohli and KL Rahul unavailable, a spot within the middle-order has opened up but once more with Shreyas Iyer axed from the squad and the query is who that fortunate participant can be?
While many count on Sarfaraz Khan, who has been ready within the wings for the longest to get his Test cap, former Australian spinner Brad Hogg is inclined in the direction of giving the cap to the left-handed Devdutt Padikkal. Padikkal, who joined the group on the eve of the sport in Rajkot, was the most recent inclusion to the Test facet after Rahul was dominated out of the third Test.
Hogg on his YouTube channel mentioned that Padikkal being a top-order batter and a left-hander could be forward of Sarfaraz within the pecking order. “I think they will go for Padikkal (over Sarfaraz). He has scored a fine hundred against Tamil Nadu the other day. It was a brilliant innings. Coach Rahul Dravid is a big one (admirer) for top-order batters. You need to be able to bat in more than one position and that’s what Padikkal does.”
Hogg additional defined his name saying that Sarfaraz has had his struggles towards tempo and that could be the deciding issue. “We have seen Sarfaraz Khan have a bit of trouble with pace in the IPL. But if he has been working on it, Rahul Dravid has been having him in the nets facing Bumrah and handling him well then I would go with Sarfaraz Khan. But what I have seen outside of the little bubble, I will go with Padikkal. I know I have been harsh on Sarfaraz Khan there, but I love what Padikkal got to offer with a left-hander in that line-up,” Sarfaraz added.
Sarfaraz has been a part of the coaching and drills for the previous couple of days and it appears not simply he however wicketkeeper batter Dhruv Jurel may also make his debut for India.
