Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif commented on Team India’s combination in the ongoing ODI series against the West Indies. India have already won the series with a game in hand. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was left out of the playing XI for the second ODI, with Auqib Nabi replacing him.
“He can never replace Hardik. Batting will always be his strength as he is doing that since his early days. Now he is working on increasing his pace but this is work in progress. Batting is his first job and that is why I was surprised that he got dropped without getting to bat. He did not get to bat. He is the fifth or sixth bowler and you gave him the new ball and dropped him. If you felt you needed a pure bowler, then he should not have played the first game itself. You should have played an extra bowler right from the first game,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“Spend time and invest on players who have the skills. There is a big gap here. The focus is not in the right place. Make your bowling depth bigger if you want to win the World Cup. Gill, Rohit, and Virat will do what they have been doing. Our weakness is the bowling and in South Africa, there will be high-scoring games too,” he further added.
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However, Mohammad Kaif also backed veteran India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. He also ended a long wicketless run in ODIs in the second match as well.
“Yes Jadeja has had a struggle but I will not judge from ten games. He is experienced and has been playing for many years. This is where the problem is. He brings balance as an all-rounder and he is a proper all-rounder. He has been playing for 15 years now. Don’t keep these kind of players in a category where you judge in few games, just how you did with Rohit and Virat. You need to support them and I am with Jadeja here. Of course there is competition with Axar,” he said.
“Kuldeep has to go to South Africa. You need a wrist-spinner and he will have a big role to play. There might be a toss up between Varun and Kuldeep. But if you do not have good young pacers, it is not necessary to go with four pacers. If you have skillful spinners, play extra spinners. Play Kuldeep, Jadeja, Axar. You will not find a lot of grassy wickets there I am telling you,” Mohammad Kaif concluded.
