Daijiworld Media Network – Colombo
Colombo, Feb 13: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar expects leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav to be drafted into the playing XI in place of pacer Arshdeep Singh for India’s high-profile T20 World Cup encounter against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday.
Arshdeep was taken for runs by Namibia batters on Thursday, although the defending champions registered a comprehensive 93-run victory to extend their winning streak. The left-arm pacer did not complete his full quota of four overs.
Speaking on Star Sports’ ‘Amul Cricket Live’, Gavaskar pointed out that the bowling changes indicated a possible tweak for the Pakistan match.
“All our bowlers picked up wickets. Arshdeep did not complete his four overs, while Shivam Dube bowled two and Hardik completed his quota. This hints that Kuldeep Yadav could replace Arshdeep against Pakistan. Sri Lanka pitches help spinners and India have a history of playing three spinners. Expect Kuldeep in the XI against Pakistan in Colombo,” he said.
Gavaskar added that Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav appeared to rotate his bowlers keeping the Pakistan game in mind.
“Hardik bowling the first over suggests Arshdeep may not play in the next match against Pakistan. Varun Chakaravarthy bowled only two overs and would have taken five or six wickets if he had bowled his full four overs.
“The best part about Varun is that he gets wickets whenever he is asked to bowl. Axar Patel took two wickets in three overs, which is a good sign,” he observed.
Gavaskar also commented on batter Sanju Samson, who replaced an unwell Abhishek Sharma in the match. Samson scored a quickfire 22 off eight balls, including three sixes, before being dismissed.
“Sanju Samson has a technical problem. He goes too deep in the crease and plays that flick shot. You can only hope he times it into the gap or it goes for a six. He needs to make improvements, especially when he opens against the new ball.
“Namibia were clever with their field placements. They set a field to get Samson out. But it was good that he hit some nice shots. That must have given him some confidence. If he plays the next match against Pakistan, he needs to spend more time at the crease,” Gavaskar said.