Varun Chakaravarthy Over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? Former India Star Floats Unexpected India XI Idea For 3rd T20I vs New Zealand
India had to dig deep in both the matches so far in the T20I series against New Zealand, but have come out on the winning side. India are 2-0 ahead in the five-match series, and a win in Wellington on Tuesday will see the Shreyas Iyer-led side seal the series
India had to dig deep in both the matches so far in the T20I series against New Zealand, but have come out on the winning side. India are 2-0 ahead in the five-match series, and a win in Wellington on Tuesday will see the Shreyas Iyer-led side seal the series. Just like in the second T20I, India will miss the services of Ishan Kishan, who is injured. India brought in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the second T20I. Former India player Subramaniam Badrinath had an interesting suggestion regarding the playing XI for the third T20I. With middle-order batters like Naman Dhir and Tilak Varma doing well, along with solid support from Nitish Kumar Reddy, he felt giving Varun Chakaravarthy a chance could be worth considering.
"Instead of playing Suryavanshi at No. 3, India can play Varun Chakaravarthy in the XI. The players down the order are doing well now. So, why not go for a bowler like Varun? New Zealand's scores of 220 and 180 could have been 200 and 160 in the first two games," Subramaniam Badrinath said on his YouTube channel, as quoted by Sportskeeda.
He also added that Samson should play in his usual opening slot and that Sooryavanshi, who scored eight while batting at No. 3, should not be promoted one spot higher just for the third T20I.
"It's unfair to Sanju Samson if he has to sacrifice his opening spot for Suryavanshi. Yes, Suryavanshi has thrived only as an opener, but Samson is doing brilliantly as an opener. Though Samson has done well for Rajasthan Royals at No. 3, I think Suryavanshi needs to wait. The position is more important than the player. I definitely will not disrupt Sanju Samson."
Ahead of the third T20I, the Indian team will not just be worried about a gutsy New Zealand side bouncing back, but also about the gusty winds that often sweep across the Basin Reserve, which is open on three sides.
Whether the conditions will force any tactical changes to the playing XI was not revealed by India's bowling coach Morne Morkel, but he was clear that comeback man Bhuvneshwar Kumar needs time to find his feet at the international level without being put under undue pressure.
The much-anticipated return of Bhuvneshwar, after four years on the sidelines, has not gone according to plan, with the pacer conceding 49 and 50 runs in his four-over spells across the first two games in Christchurch.
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