During a media interaction ahead of the 2-match Test series against New Zealand, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli clarified team selection issues. While there’s been a debate Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill for being the opening partner of Mayank Agarwal, Kohli seems to have a clear mindset regarding the same. He also showered praise on Ishant Sharma who seems to be all set to feature in a 3-man pace attack in the first Test.
The Indian skipper said, “He (Ishant) looked pretty normal and pretty similar to what he was bowling before the ankle injury. He is hitting good areas again and he has played (Test cricket) in New Zealand couple of times, so his experience will be useful to us.”
Shaw will be making his return to the Indian Test team after a long absence. Although he failed to do much in the ODI series, Virat feels he will be coming out good in the longest format.
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Kohli explained, “Prithvi is a talented player and he has his own game and we want him to follow his instincts and play the way he does. Look, these guys have no baggage and are not desperate to perform in any manner. Like a clear head with which Mayank played in Australia, Prithvi can do the same in New Zealand.”
With the bowling conditions in New Zealand set to aid seam bowlers more, Kane Williamson might decide to go with 4-man pace attack against the Indians. Kohli, however, hinted at opting for a 3-man pace unit and one spinner for the Test series opener.
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Virat further added, “If it had been a Johannesburg pitch, I could have said it’s a possibility (to play four pacers) but our team has that skill that we can bowl out other teams with only three fast bowlers. But you need one world-class skillful spinner, who can take wickets on any pitch. As a bowling group, it’s better than the one that came to NZ last time and that is why we have got so many teams all out in the last two and half years. We would like to repeat that here also.”
The first Test of the series is scheduled to commence on February 21 at Basin Reserve in Wellington.
