Former India opener Aakash Chopra has named his pick of the Indian squad for the upcoming three-Test series in South Africa. India has never won a Test series in South Africa as it remains their final frontier of sorts, having won Test series in New Zealand, England, and Australia.
The three Tests will be played from December 26-January 15 at Newlands, Centurion, and Wanderers.
The Indian team is expected to select 18-21 players for the 3-match Test series owing to the COVID situation and many of the first-choice players who were rested for the recent Test series against New Zealand at home, are expected to return for the marquee tour.
Hence, in a video posted on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra, while revealing his India squad, named Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul as openers instead of Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill, who opened against New Zealand.
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He then went with Cheteshwar Pujara at 3 and Virat Kohli at 4, while he left out the regular Ajinkya Rahane and picked Shreyas Iyer for the no.5 spot in Indian XI.
Chopra said: "I have picked Rohit as my opener, without doubt. I have picked Rahul as my opener, without a doubt. Rohit and Rahul was straightforward decision, they are doing well. They forged a new partnership in England and did very well.
I have kept Pujara in my team and I have picked my XI as well. I will play him at No. 3 in this team. There is a lot of pressure on him and this tour is very important for him but as of now, Pujara is there. At No. 4, I have got Kohli, there is no doubt about that. He has struck centuries in South Africa and the expectation is that the century wait will end here. He will have to score runs, the batsman Kohli will have to help the captain Kohli."
“At No. 5, I have picked Shreyas Iyer. Who can make him sit out after what he did on his debut? If he is at five that means Ajinkya Rahane is not in my XI. We want to maintain the continuity and want to go with a player who has scored runs,” Chopra added.
Chopra also left out KS Bharat especially with Rishabh Pant expected to come into the XI, with Wriddhiman Saha as the backup wicketkeeper. With Pant at No. 6, Chopra picked Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin as the spin-bowling all-rounders in the team.
"Rishabh Pant at six, five batters and a keeper. Pant as a keeper and batter is in my side. I am not changing the captain's philosophy, he has said that he will play five bowlers and I have made the team according to that.
At No. 7, Ravindra Jadeja. Jaddu as a batsman, Jaddu as a bowler, Jaddu as a fielder, Jaddu as a gun player. There is no doubt about Jaddu. He is an amazing player and he is playing in the XI according to me,” Chopra said.
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He also said: "At No. 8, I have got Ashwin. I want to play two spinners, I have not seen the pitch but I feel you can play two spinners because if there are four fast bowlers, one of them is under-bowled."
For Chopra, when it came to picking the pace attack, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami will be the three seamers to get the nod.
“There is Bumrah and Shami, there is no discussion and debate in that. Everyone will keep them in the team. After that, I have kept Siraj at No. 11. He has leapfrogged everyone, he has become the third pacer,” Chopra explained.
Apart from these eleven players, Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Shardul Thakur, and Umesh Yadav made it into Aakash Chopra’s India squad for the South Africa series.
Aakash Chopra's Indian Test squad for South Africa series:
Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav
