After white ball cricket, it is now time for red ball cricket. As India Cricket Team gears up for IND vs SA Test Series, one of the main stays of the team, Ravichandran Ashwin can be one of the main players to spend some time on the bench. With Ashwin approaching a landmark of 500 Test wickets, his milestone just might not be achieved in this series.
The dynamics are quite simple. At Number 8, India needs a dependable all-rounder. With one spot and 2 candidates, it is a head-to-head battle between Ravi Ashiwn and Shardul Thakur.
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Ravi Ashwin vs Shardul Thakur
The pitch conditions of the South Africa favours pace and bounce. As a result, Shardul Thakur is likely to get the nod ahead of Ashwin. Shardul has been good with the bat and will look to prove his worth in red ball cricket. Team India will bank on a strong batting order to obtain a positive result in the Test series.
India has a poor record against the Proteas in Test in away series. With crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points up for grabs, India will go full throttle seal victories in the upcoming 2 matches.
Combined by the pace and bounce of the pitch and Shardul being an able all-rounder, Ashwin will most likely be dropped to the bench. India are likely to feature only Jadeja as the spinner. Bumrah, Siraj and Mukesh/Prasidh will be the pacer trio. The inclusion of Shardul will provide and extra pacer option for Rohit Sharma and Co.
The post IND vs SA Test: Shardul Thakur vs Ravi Ashwin for lone spot, Shardul to pip ahead as fourth pacer appeared first on Inside Sport India.