India, Oct. 24 -- It isn't often that a captain publicly says the quiet part out loud, but Shardul Tahkur did just that on the eve of Mumbai's first match in the Ranji Trophy. When asked about Sarfaraz Khan's recent India A snub for the South Africa A fames starting from October 30, Thakur stated that the middle-order batter no longer needs a bridging assignment to prove his red-ball readiness.

Notably, the right-handed batter is returning from a brief injury layoff, but he is also fresh off crisp domestic runs and years of outsized Ranji returns. Thakur stated the simple fact that if he finds his touch once more, select him for Test cricket rather than giving any detours.

"Nowadays, for the India A side, they look at boys, who they wan...