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Flamboyant India batter Sarfaraz Khan injured his right elbow during a training session at WACA on November 14. In a viral video, he was spotted walking off the nets, holding his elbow. Reports suggests that move was merely a precautionary measure. Sarfaraz was later seen spending time with other members of the squad. He also had a lengthy chat with Shubman Gill.
Sarfaraz is in contention for the first Test against Australia in Perth, which begins on November 22. He is currently fighting for the No. 6 spot with KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel, as the team management is set to take the final decision on the eve of the opning Test. It also depends on captain Rohit Sharma’s availability. The 7-year-old has not travelled with the squad and is currently in Mumbai due to personal reasons.
In case he misses the Perth Test, KL Rahul may open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. It means either Jurel or Sarfaraz will feature in the playing XI. Notably, the Mumbai-born hit a century in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru in the last match but since then, he had a very tough time in the middle.
Jurel, on the other hand, was highly impressive in the unofficial Test against Australia A. The keeper-batter made 80 and 68 runs respectively in the game, which increased his chances of playing the first Test. The 23-year-old looked well accustomed to the Australian condition and is someone, who doesn’t bat aggressively.
Previously, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane used to provide that balance and Jurel can be the right fit this time around, especially after the majority of the batters failed to make a mark against the Kiwis. Head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that the decision regarding the team selection will be made before the game. He noted that the team management is keeping options open and wants to see how each player trains before taking a call.
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