The former head coach Ravi Shastri sees the young Sai Sudharsan an all-format striker, who deserves to be on the side of India for the series of tests against England later this year. India will start the new cycle of the World Test Championship (2025-2027) with a series outside in five tests in England with all eyes on the selection of the team after their 0-3 defeat against New Zealand at home and a 1-3 defeat against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar tests. Shastri says that Sudharsan, currently second on the list of the highest Run-Getters IPL so far this season with 456 points for Gujarat Titans, is a chic left-hander who will do well in English conditions given his technique and county stay.
India will start its series in England with the Headingley test, which is expected to start on June 20.
“I see this young man, Sai Sudharsan, for all the formats of the game,” Shastri told the ICC journal.
“He looks like a class player and my eyes would certainly be about him. Being a left -hander in England, knowing the English conditions, and just his technique, the way he plays, I think he will be at the top of the list for me foreigners who wanted to enter this side,” said Shastri.
Shastri added that Shreyas Iyer, who had a huge race in the white ball cricket for India as well as in the IPL, is another player who could be selected for the tour in England, but would face strong competition.
“He (Shreyas Iyer) can (make a return), but it’s still going to be a competition. White-ball, certain. Test the cricket, we have to see who the other players are,” said Shastri.
With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shamid in the calculation after the layoffs of long injury, Shastri said that the Bowling attack of India was also to have a sewing of the left arm.
“I will look for a left weapon. I will keep an eye on which left weapon is in good shape, and I will try to press it as the sixth option (bowling),” said the former captain of India.
“It could be anyone. It could even be a white ball specialist. I don’t like this thing when he says someone like Arshdeep Singh is a” white ball specialist “. Shastri said that Arshdeep, who was a permanent member on the side of T20i India, has the qualities to excel in red ball cricket.
“I will also keep an eye on his record of red ball and the number of overs he bowls. If he can have Bown 15-20 letters for me, he could very well be in the mixture because he has a state of mind. He is a thinking launcher and I need a left weapon. That’s just that,” said Shastri.
“You need a left weapon, go find it, anyone and the best of the lot-choose them. There is Khaleel Ahmed, who once again, his rhythm is good, he’s bowling. It is therefore important to get this mixture,” he added. PTi DDV AM DDV AM AM
(With the exception of the title, this story has not been published by NDTV staff and is published from a unionized flow.)
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