Nagpur: Virat Kohli will get much-needed rest for the second half of the Sri Lanka series while fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah would fight for the extra bowler’s slot with spinner Kuldeep Yadav when the national selectors pick the squad for South Africa Test series here Monday. In all the national selection committee will announce four separate squads. One will be for the third Test against Sri Lanka followed by ODI and T20 squads and the big one – the Test squad for the South Africa series. Kohli will miss both the ODI and the T20 series against Sri Lanka, to recharge his batteries. In his absence, Rohit Sharma will lead the side.
In case Kohli also decides to opt out of third Test against Sri Lanka in New Delhi, starting December 2, then Ajinkya Rahane will be leading the side.
However, the focus of attention during the selection meeting Sunday will be the tour of South Africa, which will be the first big test for Kohli’s men against a top side in overseas condition.
It is expected to be a 17-member squad that will travel to South Africa and the main call will be whether India would go with four frontline pacers and three specialist spinners or five specialist fast men and two slow bowlers.
Jasprit Bumrah, who has been India’s key pacer in white ball cricket, is certainly in contention for a slot for the extra pacer. The four pacers – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are automatic picks. Delhi’s Navdeep Saini could be a dark horse if the MSK Prasad-led three-man committee want some surprise element.
There is a school of thought that with Hardik Pandya taking the all-rounder’s slot, he will be the fifth pacer in the squad which can allow a wrist spinner – one among Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal to be fitted in along with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
The seven batsmen – three openers and four middle-order players however select themselves. The three openers will be KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay while four middle order batsmen are skipper Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara.
Wriddhiman Saha will be the first wicket-keeper while Parthiv Patel, who has been the second choice in the longest format of the game is expected to board the South Africa bound flight.
Press trust of India