Mumbai: Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer came up with an unusual fix for the playing XI, he 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 against New Zealand.
He admitted the playing XI dilemma will be a “tough call” for the team management among two players who are likely to be dropped from the Indian team. Jaffer feels that it will be toss-up between l Mayank Agarwal and skipper Ajinkya Rahane, following his poor stats and form. While Mayank managed scored of 13 and 17 in the Kanpur Test, on other hand Rahane scored 35 and 4 in the game resulting in the fall of his career batting average to 39.01, his lowest since February 2014.
“It’s a toss-up between Mayank Agarwal and Ajinkya Rahane. I would think on those two. That’s the toss-up that Virat Kohli has to make. Whether he wants to go with Mayank Agarwal and give him another go or whether [he thinks] Ajinkya 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 was quoted as saying to ESPNCricinfo.
Wriddhiman Saha stepped up for the Indian side in the 2nd innings of the 1st Test against New Zealand and scored an unbeaten 61* off 126 deliveries and helped his side set a target of 284 for the New Zealand side.
Jaffer then suggested that if India drop Mayank for the Mumbai Test, then they can go with Wriddhiman Saha as one of the openers. However, the veteran wicketkeeper, who scored a gutsy 61 not out in the second innings, has never batted above No.6 in Tests, let alone open the innings.
“I think I will open with Saha if at all Mayank Agarwal goes out because then everybody bats out of their position. Pujara will open and then Ajinkya 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,” he added.
