India may decide between an extra spinner or pacer for the first Test vs South Africa, with Kuldeep Yadav’s selection uncertain. Dhruv Jurel is set to play at number six. Shubman Gill confirmed that the playing XI will be decided on the matchday morning.
On the eve of the first Test against South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens, India captain Shubman Gill stated that the playing XI will be decided on the morning of the match. He noted that the combination is more or less decided, and a call on whether to play an extra spinner or pacer will be made on the D-Day. The biggest question around that is whether star spinner Kuldeep Yadav will feature in the playing XI, or if he will once again have to warm the bench.
The 30-year-old was released midway through the T20I series against Australia to play the unofficial Test against South Africa A at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. That indicated that the team management is keeping Kuldeep in the plans for the first Test, starting November 14. However, he failed to live up to the expectations in the unofficial Test, claiming only one wicket.
On top of that, reports suggest that the surface in Kolkata will majorly help the pacers as it’s going to be dry and offer reverse swing. Spinners are expected to play a slight role, and with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar available, it’s not clear if Kuldeep will break into the playing XI. In case Kuldeep misses out, Akash Deep is expected to feature; if not, India decide to go with the other spinner in Axar Patel.
Dhruv Jurel to feature at number six
Young keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has impressed heavily in the limited opportunities he has had. With Rishabh Pant available, it was difficult for the cricketer to break into the XI, but the team management has now decided to play him as a specialist batter at number six. With playing in home conditions, the Shubman Gill-led side can afford to bench Nitish Kumar Reddy, and that opened the door for Jurel. He recently smacked back-to-back centuries in the unofficial Test in Bengaluru.
India’s predicted playing XI – Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah