Sarfaraz Khan Leaves Training After Elbow Hit Ahead of First Test Against Australia

Indian batter Sarfaraz Khan was seen leaving a training session early after a blow to his elbow during preparations for the first Test against Australia in Perth, beginning November 22. In a training clip shared by Fox Cricket, Sarfaraz was observed walking off after being struck on his right elbow while batting. However, Wisden reported that Sarfaraz faces “no issues” with his elbow after the incident, offering some reassurance to fans and the team.

India’s squad is currently practicing at Perth’s Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) ground, having arrived in Australia in two separate groups a few days ago. Sarfaraz, 27, is a candidate for a middle-order position in the Perth Test, especially with captain Rohit Sharma likely to miss the game due to personal reasons. His primary competitors include the experienced KL Rahul and promising wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who delivered strong performances in the recent Australia A-India A series.

Since his international debut against England, Sarfaraz has shown flashes of brilliance with two half-centuries and a career-best score of 150 against New Zealand. In his six-Test career, he has accumulated 371 runs at an average of 37.10, including a century and three fifties. However, his performance on foreign soil, especially on Australia’s fast, bouncy pitches, remains untested.

The highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar series will kick off on November 22 at Optus Stadium in Perth, followed by a day-night Test at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. The series will then move to Brisbane’s Gabba from December 14 to 18, with the iconic Boxing Day Test set for December 26 to 30 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The fifth and final Test will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, concluding what promises to be an exhilarating series for cricket fans worldwide.