And yet, Sarfaraz struggles to find a place in India’s Test Playing XI. Agreed, it’s not easy getting a place when the likes of Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel and other youngsters are around, but the fact that Padikkal played in Perth and not Sarfaraz somewhere makes you question the logic behind Gautam Gambhir’s selection. The head coach, who currently finds himself in the firing line as India’s dressing room chats are leaked, is ‘not in control’ of the team, reckons a former India cricketer and insists the same is evident in India’s results in Test cricket of late.

“A coach has to be in control. Losing the three-Test series to New Zealand was awful, we were playing at home. And after winning the first Test in Perth, India lost the momentum. The coach has to be held responsible as well,” Surinder Khanna, who played 10 Tests for India, told MyKhel in a chat.

“A coach holds a responsible position and he is the father figure in the team. If he is not able to handle the heat, too bad. Ok, let me put it this way, if you are in a corporate set-up and the boss is unhappy with your work, there will be a conversation and issues get resolved.”

Why no Sarfaraz Khan in India’s Playing XI?

Against New Zealand, even as India were whitewashed 0-3, one of the few silver linings was Sarfaraz, who struck his maiden century in the first Test at Bengaluru, slamming 150 in the second innings. Sure enough, Sarfaraz couldn’t get going in the remaining two matches, but not giving even a single game in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy puzzles Khanna. Sarfaraz played the pink-ball practice match in Canberra between the 1st and 2nd, but it wasn’t convincing enough. When asked if discipline could have been a factor behind his omission, Khanna’s reaction took the cake.

“What kind of a middle order is this? You are not playing Sarfaraz Khan. Discipline is fine but [if] are you going to enforce Army kind of discipline, it won’t work. (Bishan) Bedi Sahab could have a few drinks at night and come out the next morning and run through a whole side, the same for Chandra (Bhagwat Chandrasekhar). Dear Vishy (GRV) could down a few beers and come out with a smashing century the next morning. Please, lame excuses for Sarfaraz, won’t work,” he added.