'Ye Sarfaraz dhoka nahi dega' - While fans are happy for Rajat Patidar, wait for Sarfaraz Khan's Test debut continues

With Virat Kohli out and KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja also sidelined due to injury, it was widely anticipated that either Sarfaraz Khan or Rajat Patidar, or possibly both, would make their debuts in the match in Vizag. When the toss took place on February 2, it was revealed that Rajat Patidar would be batting in place of Rahul at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

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While fans rejoiced at the young gun's debut prospect, many also expressed sympathy for first-class cricket veteran Sarfaraz Khan, who continues to wait on the sidelines. Numerous fans shared a famous dialogue from the movie 'PK', starring Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, and the late Sushant Singh Rajput, who portrayed Sarfraz Yousuf. 

The dialogue "Sarfraz dhoka dega" was used by cricket enthusiasts to convey the sentiment that 'Ye Sarfaraz dhoka nahi dega, mauka toh do' (This Sarfaraz won't betray, but first give him a chance).

Sarfaraz boasts an impressive record, with 3912 runs from 45 First-Class matches at an average of 69.85, including 14 centuries and 11 fifties. In the red-ball format, Sarfaraz strikes at 70.48, establishing himself as a standout performer. Most notably, in the Ranji Trophy 2021-22 season, he topped the scoring charts with 982 runs in six matches. He also impressed in the 2019-20 season, finishing fifth overall with 928 runs in six matches. Furthermore, Sarfaraz continued his consistent performances in the 2022-23 season, accumulating 556 runs in six matches.

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As for the clash, while Patidar made his debut, Ravindra Jadeja is out due to a hamstring issue, while Rahul is dealing with pain in his right quadriceps. Additionally, Mohammed Siraj has been rested.

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mukesh Kumar

England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes(c), Ben Foakes(w), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson