Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has picked India’s playing XI for the Test series against Sri Lanka. Ashwin reckons India will back the spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav but he feels they should play new recruit Saransh Jain in the team.
Ashwin backed Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to open the innings. The former all-rounder feels either Sai Sudharsan or Devdutt Padikkal can bat at one drop. Sudharsan will be the first-choice batter for the team, but his selection is subject to fitness clearance.
Shubman Gill will bat at his usual position of number four whereas wicket-keeper bat Rishabh Pant will bat at number five for Ashwin.
Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to be the two fast bowlers in India’s team.
“Jadeja will definitely play,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. “Manav Suthar took seven wickets in the last game—he’ll play. And Kuldeep Yadav should also play. That makes three spinners. I think they should go with Saransh Jain at No. 7, which leaves—No. 5 Rishabh Pant, No. 4 Shubman Gill, No. 3 Devdutt Padikkal or Sai Sudharshan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and KL Rahul. That leaves 2 fast-bowler spots,” he added.
Ashwin reckons Sai Sudharsan’s absence could be a huge blow for India if he fails to recover in time. Sudharsan recently scored a total of 322 runs in two unofficial Test matches against Sri Lanka A.
“First, I think India’s biggest loss here could be Sai Sudharshan’s fitness. Because he scored two centuries recently in the recent India ‘A’ series—one of them was at Galle, which has unique conditions. The wind, how the ball turns, the angles—it takes time to learn all that. But he’s made a 100 there —if he stays fit, it could be an advantage for India. His confidence will be high. And Sri Lanka always depends on spin—Sai Sudharshan is a good player of spin. So he could be useful. I hope he’s fit, and it shouldn’t be a setback,” he said.
“Devdutt Padikkal getting a chance in his place is not a bad thing. He has been a brilliant performer in domestic cricket. But I’d prefer Sudharsan to take his form to Test cricket,” Ashwin added.
The first Test match between India and Sri Lanka will be played at Galle from August 15 onwards.
