Former star off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has chosen his India lineup for the opening Test against England, beginning June 20 in Leeds.
On his YouTube channel, Ashwin selected six leading batters, three fast bowlers, and two all-rounders — Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur — thereby leaving out players like Kuldeep Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
No 6 Position- A Tight Fight
For the no. 6 position, Ashwin recognized that there is real rivalry between young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel and returning batter Karun Nair for the position. Nevertheless, Ashwin trusted his instincts and chose Karun.
“For No.6, it might be either Karun Nair or Dhruv Jurel. Karun’s performance cannot be overlooked, yet I believe there is a possibility that Jurel might be involved. When Bumrah suffered an injury in Australia, we lacked bowling alternatives. At No.8, do you choose Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, or a different leading fast bowler?” Ashwin asked.
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Ashwin predicts top run-getters and wicket-takers for both teams
Ashwin also predicted the top wicket-takers and run-scorers for each team. He also supported experienced all-rounder Chris Woakes to take the highest number of wickets in the series if he plays all five matches.
“If Chris Woakes participates in all five games, I believe he could be the top wicket-taker of the series, or perhaps Shoaib Bashir. Considering Bumrah’s absence in several matches for India, I believe Siraj will emerge as the top wicket-taker. Have to go with KL Rahul as the top run-scorer, yet since he opens the batting, he may encounter some initial innings issues. Thus, I will choose Rishabh Pant instead. Rishabh is the only one who can free himself. Can’t overlook Joe Root for England, and Ben Duckett is also a solid choice,” he mentioned.
Ashwin’s Predicted India XI For 1st Test: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
