Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar was not happy with the playing XI that India opted for in the Pune Test versus New Zealand. Gavaskar reckoned picking Washington Sundar shows that the team does not trust their batting. The legendary opener also said that he would surely have picked Kuldeep Yadav in the side because he can also turn the ball away from the left-handers.
ALSO READ: Gambhir DROPPED Rahul From Test vs NZ? Social Media Makes TALL CLAIM
‘He is in not just because of his off-spin’
“The selection of Washington Sundar tells me that the Indian team was worried about their batting. He is in not just because of his off-spin but because he can get more runs at the lower order. Yes, I think there has been a lot of talk about the number of left-handers in the New Zealand batting line-up but if I had to do that then I would have picked another guy like Kuldeep Yadav, who can turn the ball away from the left-handers. He’s pretty hand with the bat as well. Obviously, not as heavy-scoring as Sundar,” Gavaskar said in commentary on Day 1.
Meanwhile, at the time of filing the copy, New Zealand were well-placed at 75 for one. Ravi Ashwin has picked up the solitary wicket. Ashwin dismissed Tom Latham for 15. Unlike the Bengaluru strip, this looks like a good pitch to bat on. India could be in for a long day on the field.
ALSO READ: India Make Big Changes For IND vs NZ 2nd Test in Pune: KL Rahul Out!
Ind vs NZ Teams
India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli , Rishabh Pant (w), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin , Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah
New Zealand (Playing XI): Tom Latham(c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell(w), Glenn Phillips, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, William ORourke
#Sunil #Gavaskar #SLAMS #Rohit #Sharma #Gautam #Gambhir #Inds #Team #Selection #Pune #Test
