Team India fielded two debutants in the third Test against England, which got underway on Thursday (February 15) at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.

Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan, a prolific run-getter in the Indian domestic circuit, received his maiden Test cap from the legendary Anil Kumble in the team huddle ahead of the third Test.

Sarfaraz, who averages nearly 70 in first-class cricket, was drafted into the Indian squad after KL Rahul picked up a right quadriceps injury in the series opener in Hyderabad.

While Sarfaraz warmed the bench in the second Test in Vizag, Rahul’s injury and Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from the side due to poor form paved the way for his inclusion in the Rajkot Test.

Sarfaraz’s father, Naushad Khan, who was present at the stadium, couldn’t control his emotions as his son became the 311th player to represent India in Test cricket.

Young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel also made his India debut as veteran campaigner Dinesh Karthik handed him the Test cap. Jurel replaced KS Bharat in India’s XI after the latter failed to produce runs in the first two Tests.

The 23-year-old was added to the Indian squad on the back of his strong performances in first-class cricket for Uttar Pradesh and India ‘A’. He has appeared in 15 first-class matches so far, amassing 790 runs at an average of 46.47 with one hundred and five half-centuries to his name.

On their Test debuts, Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel received congratulatory messages and best wishes from the cricket fraternity on social media.

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