In his 28th match, Jasprit Bumrah became the second fastest Indian to 50 wickets
India’s squad for the Tests in South Africa will be announced on Monday with the three-man selection panel, led by MSK Prasad, set to meet captain Virat Kohli after play in Nagpur. They will also pick the squads for the remainder of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, which includes the final Test in Delhi followed by three ODIs and three T20Is.
Evidently, the South Africa Test squad selection will be the main focus for the selectors. The first question will be on the squad strength: on their last overseas trip, to Sri Lanka, India went in with 16 members. The selectors are likely to prefer one more on the tour party to South Africa. Once that is sorted…
Who will be the fifth specialist fast bowler?
Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are automatic choices. Although Hardik Pandya will play role of the fourth seamer in the XI, the team management will not want to overwork him. Importantly, back-up will be needed in case of injury.
Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini and Jasprit Bumrah are the contenders.
Pundits feel Bumrah deserves to be in the Test squad based on his form in limited-overs cricket. Furthermore, in 26 first-class matches, he has 89 wickets at an average of 25.33 and a strike-rate of 56.3. He has the nerve, the speed and the ability to swing the ball in and deliver yorkers. If picked, Bumrah will be an extremely brave selection. He hasn’t played any first-class cricket since last year’s Ranji semi-final – he picked up 6 for 29 – and has spent his free time after the New Zealand T20Is at NCA instead of playing for Gujarat.
Less left-field will be Saini, the Delhi fast bowler who has made himself a name for being able to run in all day and maintain intensity in the evening sessions too. He has been consistent in his performances over the last two domestic seasons – overall he has 81 wickets at 23.88 – which earned him entry into the India A team. On a tour of South Africa recently, Saini claimed seven wickets in two matches at 27.85.
If there is going to be a fifth fast bowler, Thakur remains the frontrunner even though he reportedly picked a niggle on Saturday while playing for Mumbai against Tripura. He has been part of various India A squads and had gone to West Indies with the senior team in 2016. Although he is yet to make his Test debut, the stockily-built Thakur can generate decent pace and bounce off a robust run up to the crease. Testament to his experience and ability are the 188 wickets he has taken in first-class cricket at 27.89.
Should Kuleep Yadav be the third spinner?
If India pick a squad of 17, it opens the door for a third spinner, and if they want an aggressive option, then Kuldeep could come into play. He has just two Tests against his name, but that was enough for him to showcase his skills, his street-smartness and his dominance over the batsmen with his left-arm wristspin. A constant in the Test squad since his match-winning performance on debut last year, Kuldeep might have done enough not just to earn a ticket to South Africa but even put some pressure on the tried and tested spin duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Who will be the 17th member?
The selectors will probably want to have a specialist wicketkeeper-batsman as back-up for Wriddhiman Saha. Parthiv Patel seems to be a ready-made choice considering he can easily move up and down the order.
Will Virat Kohli play the Delhi Test?
There were reports that Kohli had asked for rest in December, which became all the more intense when the selectors announced the squad for only the first two Tests against Sri Lanka. In the meantime, Kohli has said in his press conferences that he needs rest even though Prasad said that Kohli was available for all three Tests. With India almost certain to go 1-0 up against Sri Lanka on Monday, the selectors will wait to hear from the captain if he wants to sit out of just the limited-overs leg or the final Test too.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo