IND vs NZ | It is time for India to drop Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara from playing XI, says Steve Harmison
Former England pacer, Steve Harmison has stated that it is time for India to drop Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara from the playing XI. Harmison further reckoned that Team India should include Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammed Siraj in the team combination for the second Test match in Mumbai.
The first Test match of the two-match series between India and New Zealand in Kanpur ended in a tense draw, and both teams will be looking forward to clinching a win in the second fixture to seal the series. Indian spinners, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja shined with the ball, whereas Shreyas Iyer, who made his Test debut, notched up scores of 105 and 65 in the Kanpur Test.
However, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara failed to perform with the bat, and continued their poor run in the longer format of the game. India captain, Virat Kohli, who opted out of the three-match T20I series, and first Test in Kanpur, has joined the squad and will lead the team in the second Test match which begins on Friday, December 3 at Wankhede stadium. The return of Kohli has created a selection dilemma in the team management, and someone will have to make the way for the Indian captain in the second Test.
Meanwhile, Steve Harmison has stated that It is time for India to drop Rahane and Pujara from the team combination. The former England pacer pointed out that Pujara has not scored a hundred in his last 39 innings, and it is a long time for a cricketer to bat in the top six for India in Test cricket.
"If you leave one out, I'd leave both out as they’ve both been as bad as each other because you’re definitely going to bring Kohli back into the side. The question is then who do you bat at No.3? I think it’ll be harsh just to leave either of them out, I think it’s time for India to make a change of both of them,” Harmison said on his YouTube channel.
"Pujara especially, 39 innings without a hundred is a long time for a player to bat in the top six and still warrant a place in that great Indian side. There’s a lot of players missing at the moment and you might just see another debutant or player who hasn’t played a lot of international cricket,” he added.
Harmison further added that he would like to see Suryakumar Yadav making his Test debut for India in Mumbai.
"I think they both make way, there's lots of questions about Rahane and Pujara, they both might make way. I think Suryakumar Yadav, he plays in Mumbai for Mumbai Indians. He was brought into the squad as a replacement for KL Rahul, I think they both [Rahane and Pujara] looked as if they were done, they both walked off the field in that first innings as I they knew it may be the last time they walk off the field for India," the former England pacer said.
While the New Zealand pacers, Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson bagged 14 wickets together, Indian seamers could scalp only two wickets in the Kanpur Test. Umesh Yadav clinched two wickets, whereas Ishant Sharma went wicketless in the first fixture.
The former England speedster reckoned that Mohammed Siraj should replace Ishant Sharma in the playing XI for the Mumbai Test.
"For me both seamers were also below par in the first Test match, for the life of me I don't understand how Ishant Sharma got another game of Test cricket after what he did in England, so for me I would bring Siraj in for him. The three spinners bowled well enough, so they'll be the only changes I make,” said Harmison.
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