experienced person India Wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik feels Hanuma Vihari’s place in India’s Test team is now quite doubtful after being dropped from the Test series against New Zealand. Vihari was a regular in Team India’s red-ball cricket set-up prior to the New Zealand Test. The talented batsman last played for India on a tour of Australia in January, however, he traveled with the team for the England Test series but failed to find a place in the XI.
After the defeat to New Zealand, Vihari was included in the India A squad for the ongoing South Africa tour.
Read also: ‘High Time Ashwin Regular in Test Playing XI’
Karthik feels that India’s probable squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against South Africa away from home is being talked about as he feels it will be difficult for Vihari to get his place back in the team.
“This whole group of KL Rahul, Rohit and Mayank will be the three openers, followed by Pujara, Rahane and Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill as the batsmen. Don’t know what will happen to Hanuma Vihari. Ideally, he should have been a part of the team, but sadly, he had to play for India A. Are they going to fit him back on the team? Because everyone here has done a lot to stay in their place. Even the 30 and 40 run-getters, who cannot be underestimated, look set on tough wickets. The wickets of Kanpur and Mumbai were not easy. He applied himself and played good shots. So where a vihari fits into this is an important question. Has Iyer done enough to replace Vihari,” Karthik told Cricbuzz.
Read also: Former England pacer wants India to support Mayank and Iyer for SA Test
The wicket-keeper batsman further said that Ajinkya Rahane is another player whose place will be under scrutiny. However, Karthik believes that head coach Rahul Dravid will go for the tried-and-tested approach and start with senior players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahane.
“Another man out there who is hanging by the skin of the teeth – Rahane. He is the vice-captain and he has done a great job as a captain. Where does he do that? But knowing Rahul Dravid, he is the one who is in the middle of Pujara and Rahane. Will go with the tried and tested method of going together and then when things come out he will uncover the other and make the change necessary. All these people will fly to South Africa and be in the XI. Not too many changes either. See, maybe a strange change,” he said.
get all IPL news and cricket score Here
,