Ahead of the India vs South Africa cricket World Cup clash, Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid are met with a big headache regarding team selection. Will ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah be rested for the IND vs SA World Cup clash and Ravi Ashwin get his chance to play? India has already qualified for the semi-finals and therefore it can be tempted to rest their pacer on a slow and turning pitch.
India takes on South Africa in a top-of-the-table clash in Kolkata at the iconic Eden Gardens. The pitch at the Eden Gardens has showcased that it is a slow and turning pitch in the previous 2 games with Pakistan having put the highest score of 205 while chasing. With an average score of 270 on the cards, it can be expected that the Men in Blue can go for Ravi Ashwin as the pitch will assist the spinners. During the evening, the dew can help the batters, however.
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Jasprit Bumrah vs Ravi Ashwin
Jasprit Bumrah has been the lead pacer for India in the tournament and has been deadly with the new ball. But in a pitch that will help the spinners, Ravi Ashwin can provide further dynamics to the formidable duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.
After being benched for the first 4 matches, Mohammed Shami announced himself in the World Cup with a fifer in his first match, he bagged a four-fer in the next and then again another fifer against Sri Lanka to scalp 14 wickets from just 3 games. As a result, it will be foolish to drop the in-form Shami.
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The same can be said about Mohammed Siraj. The pacer bagged an early three-wicket haul against Sri Lanka and thus it will be unwise to drop him. On the other hand, with the much important semi-finals clash coming up, Rohit Sharma just might be tempted to give rest to Jasprit Bumrah.
Ashwin can add a huge dynamic to the team. Not only as an extra spinner but also as a number 8 batter. In a pitch that helps spinners, Ashwin can be a good choice. Will Rohit Sharma take the risk of playing against South Africa with just 2 pacers? That remains the main doubt.
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