Former India captain Anil Kumble was stunned by India’s playing combination for the ongoing first Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The decision to drop Sai Sudharsan and slot Washington Sundar at number three, along with the choice to play four spinners, has raised a lot of questions.
Speaking on the broadcast, Kumble shared his thoughts on the playing XI, saying: “Really surprised at the line-up, because I certainly expected Sai Sudarshan to be playing in this Test match. Who’s going to bat at No. 3? That will be the question. Washington Sundar has been slotted to bat at No. 3, so India will be bowling first. Four spinners and two fast bowlers.”
Kumble also pointed out the move to go with six left-handers for the first time in their Test history.
“I certainly expected three spinners to play and two fast bowlers,” he said. “So that’s going to be a bit of a challenge. Day 1, the wicket is good. It’s not as though you need four spinners, and one of them will certainly be under-bowled. So it’s going to be interesting to see how Shubman Gill uses his resources on Day 1. Of course, the two new-ball bowlers will become that much more critical on Day 1 for India.”
The spin-bowling legend further raised concern about the batting order, stating:
“It’s all all-rounders. I mean, if you look at the batting line-up, Washington Sundar has been slotted at No. 3. So, obviously, if he bats at 3, then the batters are Shubman, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. The rest of them are all-rounders. I consider Rishabh Pant an all-rounder.”
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