‘Experienced’ KL likely to start ahead of Sarfaraz

Sarfaraz Khan’s fearless approach in the home series against England impressed one and all but KL Rahul’s experience will give him the advantage when it comes to finalising the playing XI in India’s season-opening Test series against Bangladesh starting September 19 in Chennai. It is believed that the team management and the selection committee’s full focus is on the tour of Australia and Rahul’s experience of 50 Tests puts him in an advantageous position.

For the team management, it is a choice between a younger Sarfaraz flamboyance and fearlessness and a seasoned campaigner who has been a Test captain and is part of the national set-up for a decade now.

“People on the outside don’t understand how a team works. In his last three Test matches, KL scored a century in South Africa, one of the best Test knocks in recent times, and an 86 at Hyderabad in the last Test he played before injury,” a BCCI source said on conditions of anonymity. “He was not dropped but got injured. So, he is fit and available, scored a fifty in Duleep Trophy, got match time and he will start.”

Sarfaraz had a very impressive debut with twin half-centuries against England at Rajkot and another half-ton against at Dharamsala. “Sarfaraz has done everything right and mind it, if there is an injury anywhere, he will just walk in but Rahul’s experience is irreplaceable. And the team management is not just looking at Bangladesh, they are looking at Australia where previous experience matters,” the source added.

The same theory of continuity will also apply in the Rishabh Pant vs Dhruv Jurel case. Jurel is a fine talent and did well in the England series but Pant is an exceptional Test player.