Gavaskar wants to see Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw & Umesh in the playing XI against Australia in Adelaide Test

While skipper Virat Kohli said that Umesh has definitely given a selection headache ahead of the Australia series, former India opener Sunil Gavaskar feels that the pacer is a must in the playing XI as are Rishabh Pant and Prithvi Shaw.

Umesh Yadav impressed one and all with his impressive show against West Indies in the second Test of the two-game series in Hyderabad. While skipper Virat Kohli said that Umesh has definitely given a selection headache ahead of the Australia series, former India opener Sunil Gavaskar feels that he is a must in the playing XI when the Indians walk onto the field at Adelaide.

File image of Prithvi Shaw (left) and Rishabh Pant. (PTI)

“Picking up ten wickets in a Test in India no small achievement. I would want to see Umesh playing in the XI in Adelaide Test,” Gavaskar said while speaking to Aajtak after India’s victory in Hyderabad.

Gavaskar has further gone on to add that he wants to see Rishabh Pant given a longer rope in the Test team. While this could ideally mean the end of the road for Wriddhiman Saha — currently undergoing rehab after a successful shoulder surgery — Gavaskar feels that the young wicket-keeper has done enough to get the backing of the team management.

“Looking at the way Rishabh Pant has settled in the team, I wouldn’t disturb the combination at all. He can be someone like Adam Gilchrist or Quinton de Kock to come down the order and if four wickets have fallen early, to take the game away from the opposition. So, that has to be encouraged. He can be destructive. If there is an Ajinkya Rahane or Virat Kohli at the other end, that’ll be an absolutely deadly combination,” he told India Today.

“His wicket-keeping is improving every day, the more he keeps wickets to Ashwin and Jadeja the better. He hasn’t kept wickets to them before. He will get better with time and the more he keeps wickets to them, he will get used to their spin, varieties and he’ll be that much better with every game he keeps to them. Unfortunate for Wriddhiman Saha, but with current form and performance he slots into the XI straight away.”

Gavaskar also praised the young Prithvi Shaw who won the Man of the Series award in his first series in the senior team. “This is a dream start of the young man. He couldn’t have asked for a better start and he deserves it. He has been making adjustments and sure he won’t find it easy in Australia. Nobody finds it easy, but he is hungry for runs and hungry for hundreds,” Gavaskar said.

“By all accounts, Pant, Shaw, when they are in the change room...they are all the time asking the seniors about tips, they are very good observers and that’s the one way to improve. So, the future is very bright for both these young stars and like Ravi Shastri said...if they keep up the work ethic, do not relax, do not take the game for granted...then the sky is the limit for both these guys.”