Prasidh or Anshul? Sai or Nair? Irfan Pathan weighs in on best fits for Manchester Test
New Delhi [India], July 22 (ANI): Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan gave his take on the team combination conundrum that India has found itself in, courtesy of injuries and lack of form of certain players ahead of the fourth Test against England in Manchester, scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
India, trailing 1-2 in the five-match series, is walking through a must-win territory after surrendering a 22-run defeat in the third Test. Karun Nair’s place in the XI has been up for debate after his torrid run continued at Lord’s. Nair has managed 131 runs at 21.83, while his compatriots have made the art of scoring a walk in the park.
Just like Ravichandran Ashwin, Pathan acknowledged Nair hasn’t “struggled"; he has batted well, but runs haven’t come along for him. Pathan believes if Sai Sudharsan, who was dropped after the series opener, returns to the number three spot, India will benefit from a tactical advantage.
He feels England’s bowling unit, bereft of experience, has struggled against left-handed batters, which could come in handy for India. While he feels India would benefit from Sai’s return, Pathan admitted that persisting with Nair wouldn’t be a bad call.
“Should India persist with Nair? He has batted well. Runs have not come; the highest has been 40. But he hasn’t struggled. But I think Sai should play. The logic behind it is that he has a left-handed batter. I think England haven’t bowled well to left-handers. If the team persists with Nair, it wouldn’t be a bad call," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
Pathan went on to focus on the third seamer conundrum, which rose from injuries to Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh. Uncapped Anshul Kamboj joined the Indian team in Manchester to add cover in the speedsters department.
Discussions and debates have sparked the question of whether India should line up with Kamboj or recall Prasidh Krishna, who sat out in the third Test at Lord’s. Prasidh struggled to scalp wickets in the first two Tests, managing six in four innings.
Kamboj has thrived in India’s domestic circuit with his teasing lines and threatening lengths. He was one of the potential talents who emerged in last season’s Ranji Trophy season, scything 34 scalps in six appearances at a staggering average of 13.79.
Pathan weighed in on the best option that would perfectly accommodate mainstays Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj and said, “I think Prasidh Krishna should play. When there is an important match, you go for experience."
“This is an important match. When Anshul Kamboj plays for India, I have no doubt that he will do well. I like his action and seam position. I think it is better to go for experience," he added.
India’s squad for the fourth Test: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj. (ANI)
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