Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has suggested that India might pick only one frontline spinner for their match against South Africa on December 26 at SuperSport Park in Centurion and has chosen all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja over top-ranked Test bowler R Ashwin, considering his superior batting skills.
Indian players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah will be part of the playing XI for the first time during India’s multi-format tour to South Africa on Tuesday. Rohit Sharma-led side will resume their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) campaign with the upcoming two-game series against hosts South Africa, with crucial points up for grabs.
Speaking on Espncricinfo, Sanjay Manjrekar believes that the conditions in the upcoming match would not aid the spinners, and if it is not a turning pitch, then India should go with a lone spinner. If the pitch is likely to turn a lot, then maybe India might have two spinners, but for now, he suggested Jadeja at No. 7 as the lone spinner.
Because it’s not known to be a turning pitch, if it is a rank turner or a pitch that is likely to turn a lot, then maybe India might have two spinners.
“Ravindra Jadeja at No. 7. I am picking him ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin because of just his batting contributions in foreign Test matches. So, he becomes that one spinner at No. 7,” Sanjay Manjrekar said.
Given the green layer on the pitch, it is expected that the Indian Team will field four seamers and a spinner in the 1st match against Proteas. Ravindra Jadeja is India’s preferred spin-bowling all-rounder and has an edge over Ravichandran Ashwin in SENA countries because of his batting ability in lower-down the order.
Let’s Not Forget That Shardul Thakur Got Seven Wickets In The Last Series – Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar went on to explain that in the first Test match, India should have an extra batter down the order to provide cushioning to their batting lineup. He also mentioned that Shardul Thakur got seven wickets in the last series in South Africa, which makes him a strong contender for the team.
“In the first Test match, you just want your batting to have some cushion of an extra batter down the order. Plus, let’s not forget that Shardul got seven wickets in the last series in South Africa,” Sanjay Manjrekar added.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mukesh Kumar
