Cape Town, First Published Jan 7, 2022, 7:57 PM IST
Cape Town: Indian cricket team coach Rahul Dravid hints at Playing XI in the third Test (SA vs IND) against South Africa starting in Cape Town. Dravid hinted at the playing XI when asked if Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari would play in place of out-of-form Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara.
Despite disappointing in the first innings of the Wanderers’ Test, Vihari remained unbeaten on 40 in the second innings to help India reach 239. Vihari or Rahane are expected to be out when captain Kohli returns for the next Test. But when asked about this, Dravid responded.
Vihari and Shreyas have to wait
First of all, Vihari batted beautifully in both the innings of the Wanderers Test. He was unexpectedly stabbed in the first inning and was out on a high ball. But he played beautifully in the second inning. The confidence it gives us is not small.
The same is the case with Shreyas Iyer. Shreyas also excelled when he got a chance in the series against New Zealand. They excel at every opportunity they get and have to wait a little longer for a permanent position in the midfield. I just hope their time comes. This does not mean that Shreyas and Vihari will be considered as replacements for Rahane and Pujara when Kohli returns for the next match.
Even when I was playing, the Indian midfield was rich with such excellent players. Kohli, Pujara and Rahane were all waiting for a permanent place in the team at that time. Therefore, Vihari and Shreyas will have to wait another year or two to establish themselves in the middle order. The senior players on the current team are also the ones who have been waiting a long time for their time to become a permanent face on the team despite scoring runs early in their careers. Dravid said there were definite plans for a generational change in Indian cricket.
According to Dravid, Pujara and Rahane, who scored half-centuries in the second innings of the Wanderers’ Test, will be in the playing XI for the Cape Town Test. Hanuma Vihari is likely to leave when Virat Kohli returns. Meanwhile, pace bowler Mohammad Siraj, who has not fully recovered from a hamstring injury, is unlikely to play in the third Test. In the absence of Siraj, either Umesh Yadav or Ishant Sharma could join the team.
Dravid defends Ashwin’s delivery
Dravid also justified his decision to bowl early with Ashwin despite the overcast atmosphere at the start of the fourth day. Ashwin finds it difficult to bowl later with a wet ball as the outfield is wet. The plan was to bowl the ball to Ashwin with a wet ball. At the end of the third day, Ashwin’s balls got a turn. So on the fourth day Ashwin was tested early.
Last Updated Jan 7, 2022 7:57 PM IS
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