'Even if you score a hundred...': Sunil Gavaskar drops bombshell on Sarfaraz Khan's snub from India's Test squad

A new chapter has commenced in India's Test cricket journey, marked by Shubman Gill's ascension to the captaincy, succeeding Rohit Sharma. In this transition, Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan have secured places in the squad following the departures of both Sharma and Virat Kohli. With the absence of these seasoned veterans India faces a complex path ahead placing the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of Captain Gill and Vice-Captain Rishabh Pant to guide the team.

One player whose exclusion from the five-match Test series against England has raised eyebrows is Sarfaraz Khan. After years of dedication and hard work in domestic red-ball cricket, Sarfaraz finally earned his place in the national team, making his debut against England in February of last year. However, he did not participate in a single match during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia and was subsequently dropped from the squad entirely.

In light of the decision made by the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee, which came after Sarfaraz notably shed 10 kgs in preparation for the England tour, cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar has expressed some candid observations regarding the situation.

"It's tough, that's what cricket is all about. When you get opportunities, you have to make sure the place is yours. Even if you score a hundred, you should make sure that you don't go into your next innings thinking you scored a hundred in the previous knock. You have to get your eye in and get those runs again. You must not give anybody a chance to push you out of the team," Gavaskar told India Today.

"It's entirely up to you to ensure you cement that spot. You need to keep knocking on the doors and break the doors down."

Gavaskar acknowledged that it was a really tough decision for the selectors to drop Sarfaraz after the Australia tour, especially since the batter couldn't find his form in domestic cricket due to an injury.

"I think it's a tough call because after the tour of Australia, there was no red-ball cricket. Yes, there was the Ranji Trophy, but he was injured. So, he didn't play. There was no way he could show what his form was."

"You have to be undroppable. We have seen in the past, if a team loses a series, the guys who are 13th, 14th, 15th in the squad get dropped. You have to take your chances," he added.

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