Don’t miss the latest developments in business and finance.
Home / Cricket / News / IND-ENG 2nd Test: Sarfaraz or Rajat? Who should replace Rahul in India's XI
IND-ENG 2nd Test: Sarfaraz or Rajat? Who should replace Rahul in India's XI
While Sarfaraz has the potential to unsettle English spinners with his unconventional shots in the second Test, Patidar has impressed the management with his temperament and conventional style of play
Sarfaraz Khan has been called into the Indian squad after KL Rahul was ruled out of the second Test against England, starting Friday, in Vizag. While his selection has been inevitable given his stellar record in first-class cricket, it is the question of who among him and Rajat Ptaidar will get a chance in the India playing 11 for the second Test vs England tomorrow.
Who is a better batter among Patidar and Sarfaraz?
While Patidar has been a run-machine, scoring 4000 runs at an average of 45.97, with 12 centuries to his name in first-class cricket, Sarfaraz beats him in pure numbers as he has the fourth-best average in the history of first-class cricket, amassing 3912 runs in his kitty from 45 matches at a stunning average of 69.85.
Top-Five Players with Highest First-Class Averages
Player
Span
Mat
Inns
Runs
HS
Ave
100
50
DG Bradman
1927-1949
234
338
28067
452*
95.14
117
69
VM Merchant
1929-1951
150
234
13470
359*
71.64
45
52
GA Headley
1927-1954
103
164
9921
344*
69.86
33
44
SN Khan
2014-2024
45
66
3912
301*
69.85
14
11
AK Sharma
1984-2001
129
166
10120
259*
67.46
38
36
When it comes to recent form, both the batters played against the touring England Lions team. While Madhya Pradesh batter Patidar scored consecutive hundreds in the two-day practice game and the four-day first-class match, Mumbaikar Sarfaraz also scored 96 and 161 against the same opposition.
Sarfaraz has been an unconventional player right through his career. The first thing that made people notice him was his reverse sweeps, switch hits and paddle sweeps to pacers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Although he was not very successful with that initially, he could upset the rhythm of the English spinners, which no other Indian batter seemed to have done during the Hyderabad Test.
Sarfaraz Khan First Class Stats
Batting
FORMAT
Mat
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
BF
SR
100s
50s
FC
45
66
10
3912
301*
69.85
5550
70.48
14
11
Bowling
FORMAT
Mat
Inns
Balls
Runs
Wkts
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
SR
FC
45
17
412
295
5
2/32
2/48
59
4.29
82.4
Patidar, on the other hand, does not have any such strokes to his credentials. Although he was seen practising sweeps and reverse sweeps ahead of the Vizag Test, he is more of an orthodox player.
However. Patidar in a latest interview to BCCI TV said that he has been an agressive batter right through his career as well. “I have an aggressive batting style and I started playing shots at the beginning of my domestic career. It is in my habit and it's all about preparation. I have prepared myself that way, so it has become a habit now," Patidar told BCCI.TV.
Though Patidar was picked ahead of Sarfaraz and has represented India in ODIs as well, he is more of a number three player, a slot currently given to Shubman Gill. Sarfaraz, on the other hand, has played mostly at number four and five in his First-Class career, giving one more reason why he should be picked ahead of the 30-year-old.
"I always observe his (Kohli) batting from the back of the nets, especially his footwork and body movement while batting. I try to learn and add these things into my batting," Patidar said while talking about his adimiration for the modern-day legend.
Rajat Patidar First Class Stats
Batting
FORMAT
Mat
Inns
Runs
HS
Ave
SR
100s
50s
FC
55
93
4000
196
45.97
53.48
12
22
However, the 26-year-old Sarfaraz and Patidar can play together in the side, if the team wishes to rest Shubman Gill, who has not been in great form. Gill has not hit a fifty-plus score in his last 11 innings in Tests. In his previous 10 innings across all formats also, the Punjab batter has been unable to notch up even a half-century.