Aakash Chopra believes that Sarfaraz Khan may feel slighted for not being included in India's squad for the upcoming Test series against Australia. On Friday, the selectors announced a 17-member Indian squad for the first two Tests of the four-match series, commencing in Nagpur on February 9. Despite his impressive record in first-class cricket, Sarfaraz was overlooked.
Reflecting on the squad in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Sarfaraz might feel a sense of betrayal, noting: "Sarfaraz's name is still not there. He feels he got cheated because his name should probably have come. Bumrah is still not there. That's another news but I am more concerned that Sarfaraz is not there."
Chopra believes that the stocky batter should have been chosen ahead of fellow Mumbaikar Suryakumar Yadav, citing the following reason.
"When you picked Surya, it means a slot had opened up. In my opinion, Sarfaraz should have gotten that chance because Sarfaraz's first-class average is 80. Apart from him, only Don Bradman has an average of 80 or more in the number of matches he has played."
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Sarfaraz has accumulated an impressive 3,380 runs at an astonishing average of 80.47 in 36 first-class matches. The middle-order batsman, who boasts an unbeaten 301 as his highest score, has struck 12 first-class centuries and has been in top form over the past few years. His remarkable batting prowess has made him one of the most feared batsmen in the game.
Chopra concluded by emphasizing that Jasprit Bumrah's absence and the uncertainty surrounding Ravindra Jadeja's availability are two major issues for Team India.
"Bumrah's name is not there for the Tests although there was a thought that he was being prepared for Tests, because the WTC final is later. If he is not there for the first two Tests and Ravindra Jadeja's availability is also subject to fitness, there are certain issues which are yet to be addressed."
Jasprit Bumrah was added to India's squad for the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka, but was later withdrawn. The talented seamer has not been selected for the first two Tests against Australia or the limited-overs series against New Zealand, leaving many fans disappointed. Despite this, Bumrah remains a key figure in the Indian cricket team and will no doubt be back in action soon.
Meanwhile, Jadeja has not featured in competitive cricket since suffering a knee injury during the Asia Cup last year. The dynamic spin-bowling all-rounder has not been selected for the white-ball series against New Zealand, but has been included in the Test squad for the upcoming series against Australia, pending his fitness.
Squad for the first two Tests vs Australia:
Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R.Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd.Shami, Mohd.Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav.
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