Former India Selector MSK Prasad Backs KS Bharat To Play As An Opener For India In Tests
Published - 02 Dec 2021, 12:33 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:02 AM

MSK Prasad, the former India chief selector, is confident that wicketkeeper-batsman KS Bharat could prove to be a good bet for the national side as an opener in Test cricket.
KS Bharat is in line for a Test debut in the upcoming second Test versus New Zealand if Wriddhiman Saha doesn’t recover in time from his sore neck, which kept him out of keeping in the first Test for a long time.
MSK Prasad highlighted that KS Bharat has experienced and attained success as an opener at the domestic level. The Andhra Pradesh cricketer has opened the innings in 77 of his 123 first-class innings, and scored a triple-century and three other centuries from that position.

“It’s not a new thing to him. He’s actually a natural, specialist opener. He got his triple hundred for Andhra while opening the innings. He’s scored 90% of his runs as an opener. Given an opportunity, he can open for India,” MSK Prasad told TOI.
If KS Bharat gets the chance, he’ll grab it: MSK Prasad
MSK Prasad was really impressed by KS Bharat’s glovework in the Kanpur Test. Coming on as a substitute for Saha, the 28-year-old took two brilliant catches and effected a sharp stumping on a slow and low pitch.
Bharat may be given his Test debut cap in Mumbai and could play as an opener if Virat Kohli replaces Mayank Agarwal. Prasad says the youngster will grab the opportunity with both hands.

“His ‘keeping was really good in the first Test. It’s not easy to keep wickets in Kanpur as the ball stays low and we have three kinds of spinners. If he gets the chance he’ll grab it,” the former selector asserted.
Kohli is set to return to the eleven for the second Test; following Shreyas Iyer’s stunning debut in Kanpur, the position of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara has come under question.
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