Former cricketer-turned-veteran commentator Aakash Chopra stated that Team India looks far from a balanced team while playing with only five bowlers in the playing XI as well. They are without Hardik Pandya and Deepak Hooda for the upcoming three-match T20I series against South Africa, leaving them short of all-rounders too as well.
Chopra said: “India will have to play with five bowlers and six batters, the balance is completely gone. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will have to give themselves time, because Pandya is not there in the middle order.”
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Aakash Chopra further added: “Kohli has interesting figures against South Africa, has a particularly poor record while batting first against them. Suryakumar has been great while chasing, but not that good while batting first. If Bumrah, Arshdeep, and Harshal Patel all feature, then there is no place for Deepak Chahar. So, when will you play him? Even if Mohammed Shami was there, when would he have played South Africa have three left-handed batters, so is there a place for Ashwin in there? But, I don’t think India will do such an experiment.”
He also opened up on India’s bowling which is looking pretty weak with just five frontline options. However, Team India are scheduled to play against South Africa in the first T20I of the series at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, September 28 as well.
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“Rishabh Pant will keep the wickets since he and Dinesh Karthik will both play this match. India without their sixth-bowling option are in a spot of bother, bowling is looking very weak. If you do not win the toss, then the chances of winning are going to plummet,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
