IND vs SA: Not Easy For Ajinkya Rahane To Find A Place - Ashish Nehra Ahead Of Boxing Day Test

Former Indian pacer Ashish Nehra has stated that Team India’s middle-order batsman, Ajinkya Rahane, will not find it easy to get into the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa.

Rahane has been in terrible form in the last few years and this tour could well be his last for a while if he fails. Shreyas Iyer has already impressed in his debut series and with an eye on the future, he could be slotted in place of Rahane.

“It’ll be very tough for Ajinkya Rahane to get into the XI. Team management has to solve the issue. Virat’s (Kohli) form also hasn’t been a wonderful one, however, you wouldn’t say you should drop him.”

“The same is the case with (Cheteshwar) Pujara. But Rahane is behind those two. He skippered in the first Test against New Zealand but was dropped once Kohli came in. So, whether India plays with 5 or 6 batters, it’ll not be easy for Rahane to find a place for the first Test against South Africa,” Nehra said to Cricbuzz.

Ashish Nehra reveals his choice of pacers for the first Test

India has plenty of bowling options to choose from. It is the least of their worries, but finding the right combination for South African conditions is also key. Whether India goes for Ishant Sharma’s seniority or Mohammed Siraj‘s youthful exuberance is yet to be seen. As for Ashish Nehra, he is clear about the choices.

“If I had to choose my three fast bowlers for the first Test, I would go with Jasprit Bumrah, Md Shami, and Md Siraj. Yes, Ishant Sharma has that experience of playing 100 Test matches, but the way Siraj has bowled and the aggression he has shown has been brilliant. That I am keeping him ahead of Ishant and Umesh (Yadav), who have done exceedingly well, goes to show that India don’t lack quality pacers,” Nehra added.

India has never won a Test series in South Africa and this will be their best chance to rewrite history books.

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