Abu Dhabi: Ahead of the must-win game against Afghanistan, ex-India opener Sunil Gavaskar went on to suggest two solutions for the side. For starters, Gavaskar wants senior India spinner Ravi Ashwin in the playing 11. Gavaskar reckoned Ashwin could replace Varun Chakravarthy as that would be a like-for-like move. The other way Gavaskar felt Ashwin can be on the side is in place of Shardul Thakur or Mohammed Shami.
“Also, there is no harm in thinking of going with 3 spinners also. And maybe not have somebody like Sharul Thakur or Mohammed Shami. Go in with 2 seamers and 3 spinners because if Hardik can come in and 2 overs of medium pace, you will still have 3 medium pacers in the team,” Gavaskar said Sports Tak.
“So it might be easy for them to pick someone like a Varun Chakravarthy. So definitely, I would look at someone like R Ashwin. If at all, they are looking for someone who will slow the pace down, they can look at Rahul Chahar,” he added.
Calling them exceptionally dangerous, the ex-India opener also hailed Afghanistan. Gavaskar reckoned India should not take them lightly.
“They are exceptionally dangerous. They are a team that is unafraid to play their shots. They have got mystery spinners. And Indian batsmen in recent times have shown a certain vulnerability when it comes to playing spin, especially back of the hand deliveries. I think they are a banana peel opponent and India should be wary of playing against them.” he opined.
India, who have lost their first two games, need to win against Afghanistan to keep their hopes of a knockout spot alive.
