India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha has fully recovered from the stiff neck issue that limited his role in the first Test of the series against New Zeland to only batting and a brief period of wicketkeeping on the second day.
India are spoilt for choices in all the departments of the game and the team management led by the skipper Virat Kohli, who is returning from a break, and Rahul Dravid has their task cut in selecting the playing XI for the final Test.
The second Test is scheduled to be played in Mumbai where intermittent rains have persisted over the last few days and it should play a spoilsport during the game as well.
If weather conditions stay the same, the hosts might contemplate playing three pacers and two spinners in the final game of the series. Kohli, however, refused to assume that weather will stay gloomy and rainy through the entire course of the Test and hence he said that the playing XI is yet to be discussed.
“Saha is fit as of now and he has completely recovered from a stiff neck issue. The combination of the playing XI we have to discuss, keeping in mind the weather conditions in Mumbai. We can’t assume that weather will be like this on all five days of the Test match,” Kohli said in the pre-match press conference.
He was also asked about the composition of the middle order with him returning to bat at the number four position. He refused to divulge details of the team and instead emphasized the “team first” principle and “collective trust” in the side and said that whoever will be dropped, will be a decision based purely on conditions and combinations which will be communicated clearly with the players concerned.
“All the members of the team understand where the team is placed. We always communicate well and if someone needs to be dropped it is combination based. This is not a difficult task when there is collective trust in the team as we prioritise the team first. The discussion always happens in our team in a rounded manner.”
Kohli will be under pressure on selecting the playing XI as dropping either Ajinkya Rahane, Chetehswar Pujara or Shreyas Iyer will have some sort of bearing on his leadership style and team’s fortunes in both the near and far future.