BCCI hints at retaining Sarfaraz Khan for 2nd Test despite Gill’s comeback

Bengaluru, October 22, 2024: The Indian cricket team suffered a crushing defeat against New Zealand in the series-opening Test match in Bengaluru. Batting failures in the first innings resulted in India getting bundled out for a meager 46 and the team never recovered despite scoring 462 in the second innings.

In the second innings fightback, young Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan played a crucial knock of 150 runs. His resilient determination helped India gain a fighting total and keep the Kiwis interested until the final session. Sarfaraz grabbed this opportunity with both hands and cemented his place with a fine display of controlled batsmanship.

However, with opening batsman Shubman Gill declared fit after recovering from a neck injury, India has a selection dilemma ahead of the second Test. Gill is expected to return to the playing XI in place of either Sarfaraz Khan or KL Rahul. As per the traditions of Indian cricket, players who score triple centuries like Karun Nair tend to get dropped for the next match when the regular players return.

But former Indian opener Aakash Chopra feels Sarfaraz might escape the axe. He drew parallels to Karun Nair's case, who was dropped after his magical 303 not out against England in 2016 as Ajinkya Rahane returned. Chopra mentioned that outside noise on social media is favoring Sarfaraz at the moment, hinting the BCCI and selectors may ignore precedents to keep the youngster in the team.

With Gill's return and Rahul in form, Sarfaraz faces a stiff challenge to retain his place. But his Bengaluru knock seems to have caught the eye of the officials and commentators, giving him an opportunity to continue his dream run with the Indian team.