Sarfaraz gets maiden India call-up after ‘beating down’ the door

Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Khan finally broke into the Test squad after 'beating down' the national team's doors with piles of runs in India's domestic first-class scene in the last few years.

The 26-year-old last hit a 161 for India A against the England Lions, which finally prompted the Indian selectors to pick him for the second Test in the India-England series, which will begin on February 2.

Despite having excellent stats in first-class cricket, 3912 runs in 66 innings at an average of 69.85, the right-hander repeatedly got overlooked by the selectors.

He was expected to be part of the India squad for the first England Test, which the visitors won by 28 runs, as Virat Kohli had opted out of the first two matches of the series. But that wasn't the case.

Sarfaraz finally earned his maiden call-up to the Indian Test team as a replacement for the injured KL Rahul, ending a long wait for the talented batter who has been a regular feature in the IPL.

Many cricketers and analysts congratulated the batter for finally getting the call-up, which included Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle.

"Sarfaraz hasn't just knocked on the door, he has beaten it down," Harsha wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Harsha, however, was unsure whether Sarfaraz would get a place in the playing eleven.

"India's selection won't be as clear cut as it was in Hyderabad. Do both [Rajat] Patidar and Sarfaraz play and India pick a 3rd spinner at the expense of Siraj? Or do India play Washington Sundar in a straight swap for Jadeja and choose between Patidar and Sarfaraz?"