IND vs SA: Shardul Thakur Is The Best Choice If They Go In With 5 Bowlers - MSK Prasad On India's Combination

Former chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad believes that bowling all-rounder, Shardul Thakur, should be preferred as the 5th bowling option and the seventh batsman in the team.

Thakur was impressive in the previous Test series India played against England. He scored half-centuries in both innings of the 4th Test at the Oval and also contributed with the ball. In South African conditions, Thakur must be India’s best choice, as per Prasad.

“I think Thakur is the best choice if they go in with five bowlers as he also gives the option of a steady No.7 batter and we also have Ravichandran Ashwin. Four bowlers in this lineup are now confirmed if all fit – Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Ashwin, and Mohammed Siraj. I don’t think Ishant will be considered ahead of Siraj on current form,” Prasad told PTI.

MSK Prasad on the challenging conditions in Centurion

MSK Prasad dwelled on a personal experience in order to elaborate on how tough it is to play in Centurion, a venue that is 1300 metres above sea level. It is far too taxing on the players, especially the fast bowlers and they will have to get acclimatised to the conditions very quickly.

“I remember once we had a tournament in Nairobi when I played. On the first day of the training, we could barely complete a round of Nairobi Gymkhana as we were completely out of breath due to the altitude level of Nairobi city. After a couple of days, the body got used to it,” Prasad mentioned.

India’s lower order has been settled for a while but the batting lineup is what comes under the question far too often. Mayank Agarwal has been average while playing away from home. KL Rahul tends to blow hot and cold in the longest format. Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and Virat Kohli are going through a rough patch. It has always come down to contributions from the lower order in away games but India will be hoping for the batsmen to pull through for once.

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