India captain Shubman Gill has shed light on the selection battle between Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.
India are set to play a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka, where spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been rested due to a knee injury. Mohammed Siraj is the most experienced campaigner and will be leading the attack during the series.
On this occasion, India will be keen to select the pacer who will share the new ball with Siraj. India are expected to play three left-arm spinners, with Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar offering orthodox spin while Kuldeep Yadav providing a wrist-spin option.
Meanwhile, the spot for the second seamer will be the choice between Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna. Meanwhile Auqib Nabi is not in contention for opening game.
Speaking on the selection call, Shubman Gill said, “Gurnoor Brar is excellent with the old ball as he can extract bounce at a good pace. But Prasidh Krishna is bowling well of late as we have seen in the warm-up match. So it’s a tough call.”
Shubman Gill believes that Bumrah’s absence opens door for other pacers to step up and take responsibility.
“Jasprit Bumrah is not here but it’s an opportunity for someone to step up. It’s all about understanding the pace of the game,” he said.
With Bumrah out, Siraj is now the most experienced pacer in the squad. Prasidh Krishna and Auqib Nabi are the other pace options in the squad.
India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel expects the condition in Sri Lanka to test fast bowlers.
“Our skill is there, and the planning will be there, but the biggest challenge coming to Sri Lanka is the heat, the humidity, and the Kookaburra ball going soft a little earlier. It will go soft after 25 or 30 overs, so we have to expect that,” said Morne Morkel in the pre-match conference.
“In these conditions, it’s all about your mindset. If you’re a fast bowler, if you’re going to bowl the shortest spells, the energy you put into the ball and putting it into good areas, you’ll always have opportunity.”
Morkel also stressed the importance to maintain intensity and build pressure as the test progress.
“As the Test match will go on, hopefully there will be a little bit of uneven bounce. It’s about how we can stack up overs together with intensity and create that pressure because we haven’t played a lot of red-ball cricket in the last couple of months; going back into that is going to be a challenge as well,” added Morne Morkel.
The first match of the test series will begin on August 15 at Galle International Stadium, Galle.
