Former spinner Harbhajan Singh has picked his India playing XI for the upcoming first Test against West Indies. After their defeat in the World Test Championship final, Team India is ready to make a comeback in the two-match series against the Caribbean team.
With several new faces in the Test squad, the team combination will be intriguing as Rohit Sharma & Co. begin their campaign in the third cycle of the WTC. Following the loss in the WTC final, the selectors have dropped veteran batsman Cheteshwar Pujara from the squad, while including uncapped players Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Mohammed Shami has been rested, Navdeep Saini has been recalled, and Mukesh Kumar has received his maiden Test call-up. With Pujara’s absence, a new batsman is expected to fill the number three spot, while the bowling attack will also have a new look.
Harbhajan Singh, in a video on his YouTube channel, has made some surprising choices in his playing XI. He did not select Shardul Thakur despite the all-rounder’s impressive performance with both bat and ball in the WTC final. He has also excluded spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel from his team.
Harbhajan picked Yashasvi Jaiswal for the number three position and suggested that Shubman Gill should continue opening with Rohit Sharma. He selected Virat Kohli for the number four spot and Ajinkya Rahane for number five.
Also Read: IND vs WI 2023: Probable Playing XI for the 1st Test between India and West Indies
“In my opinion, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill should open, and Yashasvi Jaiswal should play at No. 3. Many people were suggesting that Yashasvi should open and Shubman should be played lower down the order, but I don’t think so because Shubman has secured his place,” said Harbhajan.
“He (Gill) has earned that position based on his performance, so his position should not be altered. I will play Yashasvi at No. 3. I hope he makes his debut and scores a lot of runs. He is a very talented player. After that, Virat Kohli will bat at No. 4, and Ajinkya Rahane will bat at No. 5,” he added.
For the all-rounders and bowlers, Harbhajan selected Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Jaydev Unadkat, and uncapped Mukesh Kumar. He also mentioned Jaydev Unadkat’s impressive record in domestic cricket and expressed his belief that the left-arm pacer deserves opportunities.
“Ravindra Jadeja at No. 6, R Ashwin or KS Bharat at No. 7. If Ashwin bats at No. 7, then KS Bharat at No. 8. Then I will place Mohammed Siraj at No. 9. Along with him, I will pick Jaydev Unadkat because he has been performing well in domestic cricket for a long time and hasn’t received many opportunities.”
“So I hope he gets a chance to play and showcases his skills. I will include Unadkat in the team and at No. 11, I will have Mukesh Kumar. He has also performed extremely well in the Ranji Trophy, which earned him a chance to represent the Indian team,” he said.
