Rajkot: In a bid to strengthen their lineup and seize the lead in the ongoing Test series against England, India has handed Test debut caps to Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel. The decision was made as part of strategic changes by the Indian team management for the third Test match. Sarfaraz Khan replaces Mumbai batter Shreyas Iyer, while Dhruv Jurel takes the place of KS Bharat.
Both Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel have previously represented India at the U-19 level, showcasing their talent and potential in youth cricket. Sarfaraz played a key role for India during the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup in 2014 and 2016, while Jurel was part of the 2020 edition in South Africa alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.
The toss proved to be in India’s favor, and captain Rohit Sharma elected to bat first at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. The playing surface appears to be batsman-friendly initially, with some cracks expected to open up as the match progresses, favoring the spinners later on.
Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja makes a highly anticipated return to the Indian side, marking one of several changes for the hosts in the third Test. Kuldeep Yadav retains his place in the playing XI, and Mohammed Siraj has been brought in to replace Mukesh Kumar. Mukesh Kumar has been released to participate in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal and will rejoin the Indian team ahead of the fourth Test in Ranchi. Unfortunately, Axar Patel has missed out on a spot in the playing XI.
India’s Playing XI:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.