Team India ran through a bad experience in the first Test against England in Hyderabad, an outcome that nobody saw coming in the first place, especially after the hosts took a huge lead of 190 runs. England’s Ollie Pope was the one who made a huge difference, courtesy of his game-changing 196, which turned the tide for England. On Day 4, as the pitch deteriorated, things started to get complicated for India before they eventually fell short of the target by 28 runs in the Test opener.
As if this heartbreaking defeat wasn’t enough, Team India suffered another blow as their key players namely, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have been ruled out of the upcoming Test match. The second Test between India and England will start on February 2 (Friday) at Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. Jadeja sustained a hamstring injury in the Test opener where he picked up a niggle in his left thigh in the run-chase, leading to a run-out. On the other hand, KL Rahul is suffering from right quadriceps pain. “The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring the progress of the duo,” the statement read as per the BCCI release.
Sarfaraz Khan earns a maiden call-up for Team India
The Indian selection committee has named three players in the squad (Sarfaraz Khan, Saurabh Kumar and Washington Sundar) for the ongoing Test series against England, meaning that KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja’s absences, might make the way for two of the three abovementioned players to mark their presence in the Test series. While Washington Sundar has played four Tests for India, the likes of Sarfaraz Khan and Saurabh Kumar are yet to make their Test debut.
Sarfaraz Khan has been constantly making waves with the bat in the domestic circuit. Moreover, he showcased his batting masterclass in the four-day unofficial Test for India A against England Lions, wherein he scored 161 off 160 deliveries, smashing 18 fours and 5 sixes to his credit. Rightly so, he was named the Man of the Match. Finally, all his hard work bore fruit as the selectors named him in the squad for England Tests.
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He is expected to make a debut for India in the second Test whereas the spin-bowling all-rounder, Sourabh Kumar who plies his trade for Uttar Pradesh in the domestic circuit also earned his call-up in the Test set-up. This isn’t the first time Sourabh Kumar earned a Test cricket call-up as he earned a maiden call-up in 2022 for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka but he never got to play a single game.
