The tethering issues for India will be KL Rahul being asked to keep wickets to bolster the batting and the tricky task of choosing between Mukesh Kumar and Prasidh Krishna to replace the literally irreplaceable Mohammed Shami, who is recuperating from an ankle niggle (Pic: AFP/PTI/File Pic)
Updated On: 2023-12-23 03:40 PM IST
Compiled by : Sujay Shivalkar
The best combination as per conditions isn't always a team's best eleven and it will certainly be a struggle for India to find the right blend going into the opening Test against South Africa on 'Boxing Day'. At least two slots will give head coach Rahul Dravid sleepless nights
KL 'The batter' or KL 'The Keeper'
Supersport Park was the venue where India won their only Test of the three-match series back in 2021. KL Rahul looked majestic en route to his hundred while opening the innings. Rahul had been named keeper for the series and he has already said that he is ready to don any role that the team wants. Last time, he had lost his place as a batter and he understands that glovework will not only give him an extra cushion but help him offset any poor batting form, till Pant makes a comeback, which could still be a distant future
Mukesh Kumar or Prasidh Krishna?
Prasidh, who hasn't even played 15 first-class games since his Ranji Trophy debut in 2015, wouldn't even be in the picture had Mohammed Shami been fit. However, he hasn't done his cause any harm by picking up a fifer for India 'A' against South Africa 'A' in the first 'Unofficial Test' in Potchefstroom. Prasidh, whose speed is a bit more and a natural length on the shorter side, is expected to get more bounce. But he can also leak runs as he is not known to be consistent with his lines
Mukesh Kumar or Prasidh Krishna?
If one is talking about lateral movement, then Mukesh Kumar, who has already made his Test debut in the Caribbean, walks straight into the playing XI. But the Bengal seamer hasn't looked in the best of form during the white ball leg of the series. However, with 151 wickets from 40 first-class games, red ball cricket is where Mukesh feels at home and has an average of 21 plus runs per wicket. His strike rate remains a very decent 48 balls per wicket. More importantly, Mukesh is like a workhorse, who can bowl long spells and has also been known to use reverse swing during his post-tea spells in Ranji Trophy cricket
The Centurion track has primarily been a pace bowler's paradise hard and bouncy with humidity that aids reverse swing during the latter half of the day. If one goes by form in ODIs, Mukesh Kumar could lose out but going by skills in Test cricket, he does hold a distinct advantage over Prasidh Krishna
