Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has recommended a major change to India’s playing XI for their high-voltage clash against Pakistan at the R Premadasa Stadium on February 15. The veteran believes the Colombo conditions are likely to favour spinners and feels Washington Sundar could be a key asset. The left-handed all-rounder would not only strengthen the spin attack but also add variety and valuable depth to the batting line-up.
The 76-year-old analysed that Arshdeep Singh could be dropped as Pandya and Bumrah can take care of the pace department, with Shivam Dube chipping in if required.
“I would also say that if the pitch is assisting spin, I would prefer the Indian team to open the bowling with Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, and include Washington Sundar in the XI. Washington Sundar can bowl spin and is also a left-handed batter who can score runs coming in at number eight. So I would like the team management to assess the pitch and conditions carefully before finalising the playing XI,” Gavaskar told Aaj Tak.
Won’t be too many issues playing Tariq: Gavaskar
Ahead of the blockbuster clash, Usman Tariq’s name has been discussed heavily as the batter has found difficulty in tackling him. However, Gavaskar believes that the spinner won’t be able to trouble the Suryakumar Yadav-led side as they have tackled Pakistan bowlers well in the past. However, if the conditons supports the spinners, then it’s a different ball game.
“The Indian team has played against Abrar in previous matches, so they did not face too many difficulties against him. Usman Tariq is new, and I just heard that even the Pakistani batsmen who were playing did not seem to face much trouble. I also do not think there will be too many issues. However, if the ball starts turning sharply, then it can trouble any batter,” he added.
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