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In the aftermath of India‘s disheartening innings and 32 runs defeat in the series opener against South Africa, former captain Sunil Gavaskar has advocated for crucial changes in the team lineup ahead of the second and final Test at Newlands in Cape Town, set to commence on Wednesday (January 3).
India’s demoralizing loss against South Africa in Centurion Test
The Proteas proved formidable opponents as Rohit Sharma and his team struggled to match the intensity and were outplayed on a challenging batting surface. India’s performance in both batting and bowling were subpar, with the team being bundled out for 245 and 131 in their respective innings. The bowlers faced challenges in executing their plans on a surface that offered swing, resulting in South Africa capitalizing on their errors and posting a substantial total of 408 runs in the Centurion Test.
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Sunil Gavaskar proposes two changes for Cape Town match
Speaking to Star Sports, Gavaskar has emphasized the need for strategic changes to address India’s shortcomings. He proposes the inclusion of Ravindra Jadeja, provided he is fit, to replace Ravichandran Ashwin. The 75-year-old believes that Jadeja’s all-round capabilities could bring a much-needed balance to the team. Additionally, he recommended giving Mukesh Kumar the nod over Prasidh Krishna, who struggled to make an impact on his Test debut.
“My playing XI would be not too many changes. I think Jadeja once he’s fit, he’ll probably walk back in the team at the expense of Ravichandran Ashwin that’s what it looks to be because Ravichandran Ashwin was hardly used in the previous game, and there could be a change in terms of the new ball bowling with Mukesh Kumar coming in place of Prasidh Krishna,” Gavaskar said.
In the opening Test, Ashwin bowled just 19 overs, securing one wicket and scoring eight runs combined in two innings with a bat, while Krishna proved expensive, finishing with figures of 1/93 in his 20 overs.
