'If we have to pick just one...': India coach on Sarfaraz Khan's debut dilemma ahead of IND vs ENG's 2nd Test

India player Sarfaraz Khan looks on during India nets ahead of the 2nd Test against England at ACA-VDCA Stadium on January 31 in Visakhapatnam, India. (Getty)
India player Sarfaraz Khan looks on during India nets ahead of the 2nd Test against England at ACA-VDCA Stadium on January 31 in Visakhapatnam, India. (Getty)

Highlights:

Vikram Rathour spoke on conundrum between Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar for 2nd Test vs England.

The second Test between India and England is set to start from February 2.

Vikram Rathour, India's batting coach, acknowledged the difficulty in choosing between Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar for the second Test between India and England which is scheduled to be held in Visakhapatnam. The second Test is set to start from February 2, with India aiming to level the series following their 28-run defeat in the first Test against England in Hyderabad. Post the first match, India team was hit by series of injuries, leading to the exclusion of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul from the second Test, coupled with the already noted absence of batting maestro Virat Kohli. 

During the fourth day of the first Test in Hyderabad, Jadeja picked up a hamstring injury, and Rahul experienced discomfort in his right quadriceps, according to a BCCI statement. Jadeja and Rahul's exclusions prompted the inclusion of star batter Sarfaraz Khan, left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar, and all-rounder Washington Sundar in India's squad for the second Test in Visakhapatnam.

 

India's batting admits dilemma around Sarfaraz, Rajat Patidar's inclusion in playing XI  

 

Meanwhile in the pre-match press conference on January 31, India's batting coach Vikram Rathore was posed with the question whether who the team management will go for between Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar. 

 

"It will be a tough choice. What value they bring to the team, of course, is that they are superb players. We have seen how well they have done in domestic cricket in the last few years," Rathour said during a press conference.

"So on these kind of wickets, I think they can really add a lot of value to the team." He added, "If we have to pick just one out of them, of course, it would be tough. But, that decision will be made by Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma." 

"It (pitch) is difficult to predict. It will turn, maybe not from the first day, but eventually, it will turn. That's how the wicket looks like," he further added.

 

'Keep learning every game that you play'

 

Following their defeat against England in first Test in Hyderabad, India fell to the fifth position in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. The team is now eager to make a strong comeback in their next match. However, Rathour emphasized that the focus should be more on learning from their experiences and progressing, rather than simply recovering.

 

"There's no question of recovery. You keep learning every game that you play. Of course, we could have done better in batting, bowling and fielding. A lot of discussions and ideas are being shared, preparing well and hoping to do well in the next game." 

 

However Rathore said that he is confident about India's bounce-back in the second Test against England.

 

He expressed confidence in the players' ability to bounce back and cited India's unbeaten record in Test series at home since 2012.

"We keep talking about our batters (not scoring enough), but India has been winning a lot of series at home. We haven't lost a series at home for 12-13 years. It means we are putting up more runs than the other teams. These are tough conditions to score runs, but I'm sure that the batters will find a way," Rathour further said.

 

'Too much coaching isn't required'

 

Rathour expressed that players at this stage should primarily respond based on the situation at hand.

 

"Once you come to this level, I don't think you require too much coaching. It's about reading the situations and making smarter decisions. As long as they are asking the right questions and receiving the right answers, there is no chance of over-coaching," Rathour concluded.
 

India's squad for 2nd Test against England

 

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Saurabh Kumar.

 

MORE ON SPORTS TAK:

IND vs ENG: Why will India miss Virat Kohli in Visakhapatnam Test against England? The answer lies in THIS date
After Agni Chopra's record-breaking run in Ranji Trophy, mother Anupama's heartfelt reaction goes viral
IND vs ENG 2nd Test: India look to set record straight after receiving reality check in Hyderabad