CENTURION, Dec 23:
The best combination as per conditions isn’t always a team’s best eleven and it will certainly be a struggle for India to find the right blend going into the opening Test against South Africa on ‘Boxing Day’.
At least two slots will give head coach Rahul Dravid sleepless nights.
The teething issues for India will be KL Rahul being asked to keep wickets to bolster the batting and the tricky task of choosing between Mukesh Kumar and Prasidh Krishna to replace the literally irreplaceable Mohammed Shami, who is recuperating from an ankle niggle.
On the face of it, some decisions might look straightforward but things won’t be as easy as it seems for the Indian team management, which will again have to make unpopular decisions.
The Centurion track has primarily been a pace bowlers’ paradise — hard and bouncy with humidity that aids reverse swing during the latter half of the day.
So if one is talking about lateral movement, then Mukesh, who has already made his Test debut in the Caribbean, walks straight into the playing XI. But the Bengal seamer hasn’t looked in the best of form during the white ball leg of the series.
However, with 151 wickets from 40 first-class games, red ball cricket is where Mukesh feels at home and has an average of 21 plus runs per wicket. His strike-rate remains a very decent 48 balls per wicket.
Prasidh, whose speed is a bit more and a natural length on the shorter side, is expected to get more bounce. But he can also leak runs as he is not known to be consistent with his lines.
If one goes by form in ODIs, Mukesh could lose out but going by skills in red ball cricket, he does hold a distinct advantage over Prasidh.
Supersport Park was the venue where India won their only Test of the three-match series back in 2021. Rahul looked majestic en-route his hundred while opening the innings.
But things have changed in the last two years, Rahul lost his form, Rishabh Pant had a horrific accident, KS Bharat didn’t look cut out for top flight cricket and Ishan Kishan, after being benched since the start of World Cup, has now sought a ‘mental health break’.
Rahul had been named keeper for the series and he has already said that he is ready to don any role that team wants. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
