Anil Kumble drops hints on India's playing eleven for Bangladesh Test

What‘s the story?

Indian coach Anil Kumble has dropped quite a few hints on the team combination for the one-off Test against Bangladesh in Hyderabad. Speaking to reporters ahead of the match, the 46-year old shed light on the ongoing debate regarding the fifth batsman’s slot.

Although Ajinkya Rahane has recovered sufficiently from the finger injury that had kept him out of the latter part of the England series, Karun Nair’s emergence seems to have opened up an interesting dilemma.

Kumble felt, “We still haven't thought about the combination but it is nice that Karun took his opportunity and did what he did in Chennai. It is fantastic for a young cricketer to come in and score a 300. But we know what Ajinkya has done for this team. Ajinkya's performances have been phenomenal across (all) conditions.

“It is nice that somebody who came in to replace Ajinkya because of the injury in Mumbai, took 3 or 4 innings and was able to score a 300. It's nice to have to have that kind of contribution and that kind of ability from the youngsters.”

The context

During the fifth Test between India and England in Chennai, Nair became the second Indian batsman after Virender Sehwag to reach the 300-run mark in Tests. The Karnataka batsman’s compact defence and captivating stroke-play endeared him to skipper Virat Kohli and the team management.

The finer points

With Kohli usually preferring five viable bowling options to bolster the attack, only one of Nair and Rahane can feature in the playing eleven. Before the skipper pushed his Test game to another notch, the Mumbaikar was India’s best batsman in whites and regularly made runs on different types of pitches across the globe.

Be it a green top in Lord’s or a sluggish turner in Delhi, Rahane showed his prowess by contributing immensely from the lower middle-order. Even though his skill set on spin-friendly Indian tracks may appear to be a work in progress, the 28-year old looks likely to get the nod ahead of Nair.

When asked about the role of Hardik Pandya in the Test squad, Kumble reiterated the importance of having a seam bowling all-rounder in the mix and evinced interest in handing him a debut when the opportunity arose.

Sportskeeda’s take

From the team’s point of view, it is always a positive sign when multiple players are in contention for the same spot. Having scored an unbeaten 303 in his previous Test, Nair may feel a bit aggrieved if he does not get the nod. On the other hand, his rise should certainly keep Rahane as well as the other batsmen on their toes and thereby demand sustained excellence.