India face selection tightrope on Galle turner: Brar backed as X-factor as Sarfaraz-Jurel No. 6 tussle intensifies
India face selection tightrope on Galle turner: Brar backed as X-factor as Sarfaraz-Jurel No. 6 tussle intensifies
India's preparations for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins at Galle on August 15, were always going to be about more than just outplaying the hosts. As the squad sweats it out at the Galle International Stadium, the fiercest contests are unfolding inside the dressing room itself - and the arrival of chief selector Ajit Agarkar in Colombo on Tuesday underlined just how much rides on getting the playing XI right.
With India's World Test Championship hopes hanging in the balance, the management must resolve two pressing questions: who fills the prized No. 6 slot, and whether to gamble on an uncapped pace X-factor in Gurnoor Brar.
Sarfaraz or Jurel for No. 6?
The debate generating the most discussion centres on the middle order. Devdutt Padikkal's unbeaten 142 in the warm-up game has virtually sealed the No. 3 slot vacated by the injured Sai Sudharsan, leaving a straight shootout between Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel for the No. 6 berth.
Former India wicketkeeper and ex-chief selector Kiran More believes Jurel's previous Test experience gives him the edge. "I think Jurel will play ahead of Sarfaraz because he has already played Test cricket and done well. He's a good fielder too. Sarfaraz has come in later and will get opportunities," More told TOI.
Jurel's overall numbers are respectable - 478 runs at 34.14 in 10 Tests, including a century and a fifty. But it is not just the figures that concern the think tank; it is the manner of his dismissals, particularly against spin. After shining in the unofficial Test against South Africa A, Jurel struggled badly in the subsequent series with scores of 14, 13, 0 and 2, repeatedly exposed by veteran off-spinner Simon Harmer, who dismissed him in every innings. The pattern followed him to Sri Lanka, where he managed just one and 17 in the warm-up match and fell cheaply to off-spinner Ramesh Mendis.
On a Galle track expected to turn, taking a batter with visible doubts against spin looks risky. Former India batter Mohammad Kaif feels Sarfaraz should be preferred. "If India stick to backing players who have already been around the side, then Jurel could get the nod. But if you ask me for the best XI, Sarfaraz is in it because of his ability against spin," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
Sarfaraz's reputation is built almost entirely on spin. His first-class record is extraordinary - 5,114 runs at an average of 64.73 with 17 centuries in 62 matches.
Brar: the pace X-factor
Former Sri Lankan all-rounder Farveez Maharoof, speaking at an interaction organised by Sony Sports Network, has no doubts about the identity of India's potential game-changer - uncapped pacer Gurnoor Brar.
"I like Gurnoor Brar. I think he can be an X-factor. He has the bounce, pace, the fighting spirit, and he can be nasty," Maharoof said. The 25-year-old, who made his international debut against Afghanistan in an ODI earlier this year, took 11 wickets in six innings at 32.81 and boasts 62 first-class wickets in 19 matches at 25.24, including four four-wicket hauls, two five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket match haul.
Brar troubled several established batters during the warm-up match against Sri Lanka XI, finishing with three wickets. "If you watched the warm-up match, some of the deliveries he bowled against the batters who have already played Tests, he made them quite uneasy. A couple of players also got some body blows," Maharoof said.
While acknowledging Brar's lack of red-ball experience makes his selection a gamble, Maharoof believes his pace and bounce make him a lethal weapon in short bursts. "If I am the think tank of India, I will be tempted to try Brar. I know he has not played red-ball cricket and has just played white-ball cricket for India, but he brings that X-factor, those short spells where you just want to break the rhythm of the batter. He can be a lethal weapon," he added.
Praise for captain Shubman Gill
Maharoof also reserved high praise for India captain Shubman Gill, who will lead the side in the series. "Shubman Gill is a quality player. He is one of the best going around; his Test average this year is 70-odd. Numbers speak for themselves. The way he batted in the second innings of that warm-up match was superb. He is one of the best going around, not only in Tests, but also in all formats," Maharoof said.
The bowling puzzle
The other major dilemma concerns India's bowling combination. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna look certain to lead the pace attack, leaving the question of whether to add a third seamer or bolster spin.
Conventional wisdom favours spin on Sri Lankan pitches, but former India left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan believes seamers can thrive. "Whenever I played in Sri Lanka, there was always a bit more zip in the wickets. In humid conditions, the ball also tends to move around," Pathan told TOI.
Kiran More expects three pacers unless Galle produces an outright raging turner. "My three seamers would be Siraj, Krishna and Gurnoor Brar. Since Nitish Kumar Reddy is unavailable, India need that extra pace option," More said. If that formula is followed, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav would operate as the two frontline spinners.
Squad for the Sri Lanka Tests
India's squad: Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi.