feature in Asia XI Christchurch challenge
Kohli might not India batsmen set to face barrage of bouncers as New Zealand likely to deploy all-pace attack
Christchurch: India captain Virat Kohli’s strenuous workload will certainly be factored in when BCCI decides its list of players to feature in the Asia XI team for the two-match T20I series against World XI in Dhaka on March 21 and 22. While the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has recently stated that Kohli is expected to play at least one match, the agency can confirm after talking to top BCCI sources that the India captain has not yet given his consent. The Indian team will return from a gruelling six-week tour of New Zealand on March 6 and are set to assemble in Dharamsala on March 10 for the first ODI against South Africa on March 12. “The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has sent a wish list of 10 names and we are supposed to send five players. As of now, we have not confirmed any names. All the players including the skipper will undergo tests to check their level of workload. Only then we will give the names,” a senior BCCI source said. —
Christchurch, Feb. 28: Their pride bruised and technique exposed in adverse conditions, India’s famed batting line-up will face its hour of reckoning against a New Zealand pace attack, threatening to be relentless with its short ball tactic in the second Test starting Saturday. The ignominy of a defeat in less than five days in a World T e s t Championship encounter has certainly jolted a batting line-up that prides itself in performing in tough conditions. And none other than coach Ravi Shastri is first to agree.
“A shake up like this is good as it opens your mindset. When you are on the road all the time and have not tasted defeat, it can close your mindset,” Shastri was forthright in his admission that complacency had crept in somewhere.
Come Saturday, the Virat Kohlis, Cheteshwar Pujaras and Ajinkya Rahanes will face an even tougher test on a green top at the Hagley Oval where the Black Caps have won all but one Test. With the peerless practitioner of the short-ball tactic Neil Wagner joining Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Kyle Jamieson in aiming for the rib cage from round the wicket, there will be more probing questions on offer during the next five days. What the Indian team would want is
one among Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari and Cheteshwar Pujara to show positive intent as their identical defensive game is bound to put too much pressure on skipper Kohli. One good news for India was that Prithvi Shaw was back in the nets with an extensive session under watchful eyes of the coach and some valuable tips from the skipper. ISHANT AGGRAVATES
ANKLE INJURY
However there was some bad news as well with senior speedster and team's best bowler in the first Test, Ishant Sharma aggravating his right ankle injury that he had suffered during a Ranji Trophy game last month.
Ishant was likely to be out for six weeks with a grade three tear but NCA head physio Ashish Kaushik greenlighted his return to international cricket.
As per team sources, Ishant’s scan report is awaited and he looks doubtful as of now.
The visitors, in all likelihood, will have two changes in the playing XI from the last Test with Ravichandran Ashwin likely to lose his spot to Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav or Navdeep Saini will be inducted in case Ishant fails to make it.
For New Zealand, it could be an all-pace attack considering that Ajaz Patel, the specialist left arm spinner, had precious little to do at the Basin Reserve. With Wagner getting his place back, the team management would find it difficult to bench Jamieson who won Man of the Match award on Test debut.
“It’s a good kind of worry to have for Kane,” senior pacer Trent Boult said.
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