Australia vs India 2018: Third Opener, Second Wicketkeeper Remain Prime Concern

With the Australia tour around the corner, India has got too many problems to sort out. Off all, the primary concern will be the place of the third opener and the second wicketkeeper-batsman for the team. However, all the locks will open when India A team travels to New Zealand ahead of the Australian tour. The India team received a lot of Flak when they toured England and South Africa early this year and fared miserably. Meanwhile, the one good chance to turn the tables would be the series against Australia at the end of the year.

Tough time awaits selectors

However, it seems like the selection of the players is going to be a huge burden for the selectors. They are also in a dilemma on whether to go with the experienced candidates or the newbies, who are scoring the bulk of runs in the domestic cricket.

Murali Vijay or Mayank Agarwal, for the third opener slot?

Prithvi Shaw seems to have bagged his ticket to Australia while Virat Kohli’s word on KL Rahul also confirmed his place in the team. So, potentially, the fight for the third slot will be between Mayank Agarwal and Murali Vijay.

Now, to avoid unwanted drama, the former India Cricketer, Deep Dasgupta quoted asking Murali Vijay and Mayank Agarwal to open in India A tour to New Zealand to decide the place for the third opener.

“I think it will be Mayank and Vijay opening in the New Zealand A series where the better performer will be selected. I find it the most logical way of doing things. No selection committee wants controversies and this committee will also want the same,” former India opener and wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta told PTI on Monday.

Meanwhile, speaking on wicketkeeper role, Deep Dasgupta feels it would be a toss-up between Srikar Bharath or Parthiv Patel for the second wicketkeeper role.

“Bharath has been playing for India A for the last six months so you would like to think it will be him,” Dasgupta said of him. But as I have said earlier, I don’t mind looking at someone like Parthiv, who can hit horizontal bat shots well. He can be a reserve opener as well as the second keeper,” he added.

However, it would be interesting to see how selectors will go in their process of picking the players. With the series length is so long, one can expect BCCI to name the 17-member squad for the Australia tour.