Play five bowlers: Prasanna

New Delhi, Jan. 3: He was part of one of the finest spin attack ever to have graced the game but legendary Erappali Prasanna has rated the current Indian bowling group as the best in the last 60-70 years.

India’s seven-pronged bowling unit has five pacers with four quicks who can regularly hit 140 clicks and that’s why Prasanna wants captain Virat Kohli to play five bowlers in the first Test against South Africa. “India have one of the best attacks in the world. In fact, I don’t think the Indian teams of the past could boast of an attack like the current one. It is probably the best I have seen in the last 60-70 years,” Prasanna said. With the bowling arsenal possessed by India, Prasanna said they have all the most reason to go in with five bowlers in the playing XI. However, India are likely to go into the series opener with three pacers and a spinner. “I have always believed five bowlers are must if you want to win the game.”

R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are the two spinners and in all probability only one of them will feature in the first Test.

“Ashwin is an automatic selection in this case. He is good with the bat as well. I noticed during the Sri Lanka series, Jadeja was bowling like a stock bowler. He was not as effective as he used to be,” said the 77-year-old. — PTI two T20s. Munro became the first player to score three centuries in international T20s, going one clear of four other players, including Chris Gayle. “If I’m lucky enough to get a good start, I try and carry that momentum and if it’s my night, it’s my night and if not then back to the drawing board,” he said.

— AFP Brief scores: New Zealand 243/5 in 20 overs (M. Guptill 63, C. Munro 104) bt West Indies 124/9 in 16.3 overs (A. Fletcher 46, Southee 3/21). — PTI