PRABHAKAR SLAMS INDIAN TEAM SELECTION
Kolkata, Jan. 20: Former India all- rounder Manoj Prabhakar on Saturday slammed India’s team selection in the ongoing Test series, saying it was a shame to pick players for a Test match based on their form in limited over cricket.
India excluded Ajinkya Rahane in the first two Tests, and dropped Bhuvneshwar Kumar in favour of Ishant Sharma in the second Test, despite his three- wicket burst on the opening day at Cape Town.
Bhuvneshwar had ripped apart the South African top- order to reduce the home side to 12/ 3 after they opted to bat in the opening Test in Cape Town but Indian batting meekly surrendered chasing 208.
But a bold Virat Kohli picked Ishant in place of Bhuvneshwar, while ignoring Rahane in both the Tests in favour of Rohit Sharma, who had been in rampaging form in limited over cricket in the run- up to the Test series.
“This is a shame. If you start picking Test side on T20s or ODIs form, then you’re gone. It’s a specialist job to play new ball in Test matches,” Prabhakar said at the Eden Gardens.
“We have Rishabh Pant here, will you play him for a Test? He can score a century in 25- 30 balls,” Prabhakar quipped.
“There you need different technique. But here one batsman scores double century in ODIs and his position is fixed. Rahane should have ( played)... That’s our problem.”