Advertisment

Sarfaraz Khan or Dhruv Jurel? Who is better placed to play first Test against Australia

Cast a closer look at Indian cricket team's likely number six batter for the first Test match in Perth to see who between Sarfaraz Khan or Dhruv Jurel fits the bill

author-image
Ashwin
New Update
2117

Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan (Source-X)

The Indian cricket team is set to take on Australia in the first Test match that is set to be played in Perth on Friday. The visitors have already had a few concerns with Rohit Sharma missing out and Shubman Gill getting injured. It is reported that Devdutt Padikkal will bat at number three while Nitish Reddy will make his debut. 

With India’s batting unit currently struggling for form, the onus will fall on the middle-order. India A which had toured Australia just a few weeks before saw their top order collapse. Dhruv Jurel was the shining light for the visiting side as he batted well in the only game he got to play. 

Sarfaraz Khan has had a good start to his Test career but his performances in the last few matches haven’t been great. This has caused a huge debate regarding which batter deserves to play in the number six slot for India. Batting at number six is a huge task as the batter will not only have to shepherd the tail but also potentially face a tricky situation. 

Sarfaraz Khan or Dhruv Jurel? Who fits the bill for India?

Young batting sensation Sarfaraz Khan has struggled for form during the final two Test matches against New Zealand. The 27-year-old scored 21 runs from 4 innings with an average of 5.25. His only score worth of note was the 150 he scored during the second innings of the Bengaluru Test. With an aggregate of 171 runs from 6 innings with an average of 28.5 there is bound to be pressure on Sarfaraz Khan. 

Yet another aspect that works against Sarfaraz is the fact that he hasn’t had much experience of playing in Australia. The 27-year-old may find it difficult to cope with the extra bounce that the pitch will offer in Perth. Australia will target this and bowl short to the batter. There have been instances in the past when Sarfaraz Khan has found it difficult to navigate against short-pitched bowling. 

Dhruv Jurel on the other hand has already played in Australia. The 23-year-old scored 80 and 68 during the India A versus Australia A match. Jurel batted well with the tail and helped the visitors put up a competitive score on the board. So far Jurel has played three Test matches for India and scored 190 runs with an average of 63. 

One of the striking features that work in favour of Jurel is his ability to play the seam bowlers. Indian team management can in fact use the youngster as a floater who can bat anywhere from number five to seven based on the situation. 

In favour of Sarfaraz Khan, it is the X-factor he brings to the table that could work out big time. The 27-year-old is a naturally attacking batter and once he gets his eye in, Sarfaraz has the penchant to score huge runs. This was evident during his knock of 150 against New Zealand where he helped India overturn a huge deficit. Indian fans will have to wait and watch who gets the nod in the playing XI for the first game on Friday. 

Indian Cricket Team Dhruv Jurel Sarfaraz Khan Border Gavaskar Trophy
Advertisment