Who should replace Shreyas Iyer for the third IND against ENG test? – Devdutt Padikkal vs Sarfaraz Khan.
Who should replace Shreyas Iyer for the third IND against the ENG test?
Team India will be missing top hitters Virat Kohli and KL Rahul for the third Test against England, which begins February 15 in Rajkot.
While Kohli will miss the rest of the series for personal reasons, Rahul is still to recuperate from a quadriceps injury.
Sarfaraz Khan, a Mumbai batsman, was called up to the second Test team when Rahul was ruled out with an injury.
With Shreyas Iyer discarded and Rahul declared unfit after being picked for the final three matches, Karnataka batsman Devdutt Padikkal won his first Test call-up.
1. Recent form and First-class record
It is difficult to differentiate Devdutt Padikkal and Sarfaraz Khan based on their current form, as both have had excellent runs recently.
Following a disappointing 2022-23 season, the left-handed Padikkal has produced a dramatic comeback in his Ranji Trophy play.
Padikkal scored 556 runs at an average of 92.66 in four games for Karnataka, including three century, the most recent of which came against Tamil Nadu.
He also hit 191 runs at an average of 63.66 in two India A games against the England Lions a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, Sarfaraz has kept pace, hitting 316 runs at an average of 79 in three red-ball games against the England Lions.
Furthermore, he scored 34 and 68 on difficult wickets in South Africa in two India A against South Africa A games.
In the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, the 26-year-old scored 556 runs in six games at an average of 92.66, including three centuries.
2. Better fit in the current playing XI
The top three batters in the Indian lineup are set, with Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal opening and Shubman Gill at number three.
With KS Bharat or Dhruv Jurel at No.6, one of Padikkal or Sarfaraz will be at No.4 or 5 with Rajat Patidar.
While Sarfaraz nearly always bats fourth for Mumbai or India A, Padikkal is generally a top-order batsman who bats third or begins the batting.
3. The unwritten rule of hierarchy
In tight decisions between two players, the thumb rule of hierarchy takes precedence. Sarfaraz was on the list for the second Test and came close to making his debut.
Padikkal was picked in the third Test only after KL Rahul was ruled out at the last minute owing to injury.
Furthermore, the Mumbai player is a more seasoned and accomplished first-class hitter. Which is a factor generally considered when making Test debuts.
Sarfaraz also has the extra benefit of being labeled “unlucky” for missing out on Test selection in recent months. And the building buzz from the outside will only help his chances of making his debut ahead of Padikkal.
To summarize, Sarfaraz Khan outperforms Devdutt Padikkal in practically all of the prerequisites for selection into the Indian playing XI for the Rajkot Test.
Except for the fact that Padikkal bats left-handed, there is no other compelling justification for his selection over Sarfaraz.
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