NEW DELHI: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar expects leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav to come into the playing XI in place of pacer Arshdeep Singh for India’s high-profile T20 World Cup match against arch rivals Pakistan on Sunday.
Arshdeep was at the receiving end of some punishment from Namibian batters on Thursday, even though the defending champions prevailed by 93 runs to maintain their winning streak. He did not complete his full quota of four overs.
“All our bowlers picked up wickets. Arshdeep did not complete his four overs, while Shivam Dube bowled two and Hardik completed his quota. This hints that Kuldeep Yadav could replace Arshdeep against Pakistan.
“Sri Lanka pitches help spinners and India have a history of playing three spinners. Expect Kuldeep in the XI against Pakistan in Colombo,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports’ Amul Cricket Live.
Gavaskar said Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav appeared to juggle his bowling options with the Pakistan game in mind.
“Hardik bowling the first over suggests Arshdeep may not play in the next match against Pakistan. Varun Chakaravarthy bowled only two overs and would have taken five or six wickets if he had bowled his full four overs.
“The best part about Varun is that he gets wickets whenever he is asked to bowl. Axar Patel took two wickets in three overs, which is a good sign,” he said.
Gavaskar also explained how batter Sanju Samson, who came in for an unwell Abhishek Sharma, is being affected by his deep movement inside the crease.
Samson was dismissed for an eight-ball 22, which included three sixes.
“Sanju Samson has a technical problem. He goes too deep in the crease and plays that flick shot. You can only hope he times it into the gap or it goes for a six. He needs to make improvements, especially when he opens against the new ball.
“Namibia were clever with their field placements. They set a field to get Samson out. But it was good that he hit some nice shots. That must have given him some confidence. If he plays the next match against Pakistan, he needs to spend more time at the crease,” he said.