IND vs NZ 2021: Wasim Jaffer Suggests Surprising Replacement If Mayank Agarwal Is Left Out Of 2nd Test
Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer suggested playing Wriddhiman Saha as the opener if the team management decides to drop Mayank Agarwal from the playing XI for the second Test in Mumbai.
Saha managed to fight through a neck issue and registered his first fifty in eleven Tests in the second innings in Kanpur. If he is persisted with, the best spot for him would be at the top once Virat Kohli returns, as per Jaffer.
“I think I will open with Saha if at all Mayank goes out because then everybody bats out of their position. Pujara will open and then Rahane will bat at some other position… If Saha opens then everyone bats at the same position.
“And you can do that in Indian conditions with Saha. Is it a long-term call? Definitely not because India will go to South Africa. So they’ll have to reconsider their top-six for Mumbai,” Jaffer said on ESPNcricinfo.
It’s a toss-up between Mayank Agarwal and Ajinkya Rahane – Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer opined that the only two players who are likely to be dropped from the Indian team are Mayank Agarwal and skipper Ajinkya Rahane. Although stats and form suggest Rahane is the most straightforward choice, Jaffer is unsure about the decision.
“It’s a toss-up between Mayank and Rahane. I would think on those two. That’s the toss-up that V<!---->i<!---->r<!---->a<!---->t<!----> <!---->K<!---->o<!---->h<!---->l<!---->i has to make. Whether he wants to go with Agarwal and give him another go or whether [he thinks] Rahane hasn’t got enough runs in the last 10-12 Test matches after that Melbourne Test so he goes out. It’s a tough call, definitely a tough call. It depends on whom the sword falls on,” Jaffer concluded.
Kohli will return to assume captaincy, and it will be interesting to see who he replaces in the Mumbai Test.
Tagged:
India National Cricket Team Mayank Agarwal New Zealand National Cricket Team Wasim Jaffer Wriddhiman Saha
