ENG vs IND 2018: Murali Kartik wants Dinesh Karthik to Replace Suresh Raina in Bristol

The former India spinner Murali Karthik wants Dinesh Karthik in the playing XI in place of Suresh Raina for the Bristol T20I on Sunday.

The southpaw didn’t get a chance to bat in the first match. However, Raina scored 27 runs off 20 balls in the second T20I. In fact, Raina had to rebuild the Indian innings with Virat Kohli, as India lost three early wickets.

Furthermore, Suresh Raina had scored a fine fifty in the second T20I against Ireland. Karthik was also given his chance in the same match. However, the wicketkeeper-batsman didn’t get a chance to bat.

India is likely to play an unchanged side.

Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik has received a lot of chances in the final XI after his Nidahas Trophy heroics. Karthik had also provided the finishing touches to the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

“Look, one spot you might look at is Suresh Raina. Yes, he did bat well, but what is the role you have is the only thing because most of his numbers and runs have come at the number, which has been taken over by KL Rahul and you can’t expect Virat Kohli to bat any further down. So is there a chance for somebody like Karthik to be brought into the team because he can play different sort of roles”, the former southpaw spinner said.

“He has always been the aggressor and that’s the role he has generally be seen in, coming at five, six, seven and it’s something they can look at. I would always play him, I was a bit surprised and this is something which I asked Virat as well. I said that it must be tough for him to drop somebody like Karthik, but such is the strength in the team,” Karthik was quoted as saying in Match Day, a show by ESPNCricinfo.

In fact, India is unlikely to make any changes to their playing XI. Moreover, playing Suresh Raina gives an option of a couple of overs to Virat Kohli. As India doesn’t have the 6th bowler in their team, playing Raina makes more sense.

Moreover, given the unpredictability of the shortest format, one bowler is supposed to have a bad day at the office. Thus, Raina can come in handy with his part-time off-spinners.