Tears, hugs and joy as Sarfaraz, Jurel make India Test debuts
Rajko (PTI): Emotions ran high in the Indian team's huddle this morning when domestic batting star Sarfaraz Khan and wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel were handed their Test caps on debut, before the start of play for the third Test against England here on Thursday.
A consistent performer on the domestic circuit for Mumbai, Sarfaraz has been in contention for national selection for a long time but the 26-year-old has had to wait for his chance to break into the Indian Test side.
Having received his maiden India call-up earlier in the series, Sarfaraz was in line for debut ever since India lost the services of KL Rahul for this Test and also given that his Mumbai teammate Shreyas Iyer lost his spot and Virat Kohli is unavailable.
On the other hand, with a sparkly average nearing 47 with the bat, Uttar Pradesh's Jurel became the obvious pick for the wicketkeeper-batter's spot after KS Bharat failed to make the most of the opportunities with the bat.
The two youngsters got their names engraved on the rich roster of India's Test cricketers with Sarfaraz becoming the 311th player and Jurel the 312th.
The right-handed Sarfaraz was presented his cap by former India captain and most successful Test bowler Anil Kumble.
"Sarfu, really proud of you, the way you have come through. I am sure your dad and your family will be extremely proud of what you have been able to achieve. I know you have done all the hard work," Kumble, also the former national coach, said in the team huddle.
"There were some disappointments but despite that, all the runs you have scored through the domestic season well done to you. I am sure you will have lots of wonderful memories today. (This is the) start of a long career, only 310 people have played before you, and this is for you. Good luck," he added.
Sarfaraz was later seen showing his India cap to his father and coach Naushad Khan who was overwhelmed with emotions and broke down.
Sarfaraz was also seen wiping off his wife's happy tears at the venue.
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik shared interesting anecdotes and statistics while making his speech during the cap presentation to Jurel.
"Coming from Agra, moving to Noida at a very young age, your mother being with you all the tough things that must have happened in the journey, there must have been so many people through that journey who would have really helped you. I am sure all of them would be watching today," he said.
"You must have played a lot of matches in different colours, mainly blue, but there is something divine and pure about wearing the whites and representing India in Test cricket. It is the toughest format of the game, it is relentless but there is tremendous satisfaction that comes when you do well in this format," Karthik added.
Karthik said doing well in Test cricket is paramount for every cricketer and wished Jurel to have success like his teammate Rinku Singh.
"Your dad is watching today who is your biggest hero and he will be really proud and happy like everybody else are," he said.
"Everybody's journey is different and what you have done in this short duration of time and achieved let us take an example, Rinku Singh, who has been your roommate for sometime now and (also) your housemate," Karthik revealed.
"He has done some special things in the last six months and may you do special things as well," the former India stumper added.
Karthik pulled up some numbers to highlight how rare it is to get to play Test cricket for India.
"Not many have played this format I tell you that in the last 10 years as a commentator I took up some stats: 65 people have played T20Is, 56 have played ODIs but just 30 have managed to play Test cricket," he said.
"This is the toughest form and very hard to get in. What you have achieved is really special and may you stay here long and do really well," Karthik added.
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Jharkhand horror: Man kills live-in partner, chops body into 40 pieces
Ranchi (PTI): A 25-year-old man, who works as a butcher, allegedly strangled to death his live-in partner and chopped her body into 40 to 50 pieces in a forested area in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Naresh Bhengra, was arrested.
The matter came to light after around a fortnight after the killing when a stray dog was found with human body parts near Jordag village in Jariagarh police station on November 24.
Bhengra was in a live-in relationship with the deceased, a 24-year-old woman also from Khunti district, in Tamil Nadu for the past couple of years. Sometime back, he returned to Jharkhand, got married to another woman without telling his partner anything and went back to the southern state without his wife to join her.
"The brutal incident occurred on November 8 when they reached Khunti as the accused who had married another woman did not wish to take her home. Instead, he took her to a forest near his house at Jordag village in Jariagarh police station and chopped the body into pieces. The man has been arrested," Khunti Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar told PTI.
Inspector Ashok Singh who investigated the case said the man worked in a butcher shop in Tamil Nadu and was expert in slicing chicken.
“He admitted chopping the body parts of the woman into 40 to 50 pieces before leaving those in the forest for wild animals to feast on. The police recovered several parts on November 24 after a dog in the area was seen with a hand," Singh told PTI.
Singh said that the woman, who was unaware of his marriage, pressured him to return to Khunti. After reaching Ranchi, they boarded a train on November 24 and headed to the man's village.
"Under a plan, the man took her to Khunti in an autorickshaw near his home and asked her to wait. He returned with sharp weapons and strangulated her with her dupatta after raping her. He then cut the body into 40 to 50 pieces and left for his home to live with his wife," Singh said.
The woman, however, had informed her mother that she had boarded a train and would be living with her partner, the police officer said.
Following the recovery of body parts, a bag was also found in the forest with the murdered woman's belongings including her Aadhaar card. The mother of the woman was called at the spot and she identified her daughter's belongings.
"The mother suspected the man behind the crime who after being nabbed by the police admitted to chopping the woman into pieces," the official added.
The incident has sent shockwaves among people in the region, with the Shraddha Walker murder case of 2022 still fresh in their memory.
Walker was killed by her live-in partner who chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in the jungle in South Delhi’s Mehrauli.
