3 reasons why India should select Sarfaraz Khan for the last 2 Tests vs Australia

There has been plenty of chatter around the exclusion of Sarfaraz Khan from the Indian Test squad for the first two Tests against Australia. The four-match series will be crucial in India's quest to make the final of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship.

With some crucial names missing from the Indian squad, many believe that Sarfaraz Khan should have been given an opportunity with the side. After all, the Mumbai batter has been churning out runs for fun in the domestic Ranji Trophy for a few years now.

However, the 25-year-old still hasn't been able to break down the selection door for the Indian Team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has only announced the team for the first two Test matches so far, so there is a chance that Sarfaraz will make it to the team for the final two matches.

In this article, we take a look at three reasons why India should select the Mumbai batter for the last two Tests (or even earlier) against Australia.

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#1 Sarfaraz has been dominating in the domestic circuit

No other batter has dominated the Ranji Trophy as Sarfaraz has. He extended his flawless run of form, averaging over 100 runs in the tournament for a third season running. He scored over 900 runs in the last two seasons and has also amassed 431 runs this year, including two centuries and a half-century.

More importantly, he's done that at a healthy strike rate of 70, often from steering his side to a position of safety from tricky situations. He has not only accumulated an abundance of runs but has also ensured he moves the game forward.

To put things into perspective, his first-class numbers are close enough to challenge a certain Don Bradman. With his extended purple patch, the team management probably won't have a better time to introduce Sarfaraz into the mix.

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#2 Injuries to crucial players

The Indian middle order looks in slight disarray in the buildup to this crucial series, starting next month. The unfortunate injury to Rishabh Pant has ruled him out for a long spell, while Shreyas Iyer is also doubtful for the start of the series. The two have been India's top run-scorers in recent times and will undoubtedly be a huge miss.

Sarfaraz has proven to be a capable replacement for these players. He gives India a solid player in the middle order who knows his role in and out. He is also a proven match-winner, which is exactly what India might need to come up on top in this series.

At the moment, the onus will be on the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, along with the two openers. There are suggestions that Shubman Gill could be moved to the middle order, but that experiment could prove to be a gamble.

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#3 Replacements don't have enough experience

India have included Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav in the Test squad as possible replacements in the middle order. Suryakumar's inclusion majorly comes from his form in white-ball cricket, but he did play a couple of red-ball games for Mumbai and contributed decently.

Kishan, on the other hand, might be looked at as a like-for-like replacement for Pant in terms of their style of play. However, with little experience in the Test circuit and his notable struggles against Pat Cummins in the past, he might not be the first choice in the side.

The two aforementioned players undoubtedly bring some X-factor into the mix, but they haven't done what Sarfaraz has - proving their credentials in the red-ball format.

India need a dependable No.5 batter in their middle order and the Mumbai star can provide that assurance, along with the X-factor.