"Wise to play Axar in place of Shardul": Wasim Jaffer on team selection

Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer wants Team India to go ahead with spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel instead of pace-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur ahead of their Asia Cup Super Four clash against Pakistan in Colombo.

India will take on Pakistan in their Super Four clash of the ongoing Asia Cup in Colombo on Sunday.

Ahead of the match, Jaffer said that conditions in Colombo are spin-friendly and when it comes to bowling all-rounders, Men in Blue should make the "wise" move of going ahead with Axar instead of Shardul.

"Due to spin-friendly conditions in Colombo, it will be wise to play Axar in place of Shardul. #INDvPAK," tweeted Jaffer.

Inclusion of Axar will not only offer India a solid spin option, but also a left-handed batter option.

Axar has also been in a solid form this year with the bat. In six ODIs, he has scored 64 runs, with the best score of 29*. He has often come down the order as a finisher, but has been promoted up to number four or five against Australia and West Indies, a tactic which failed.

Overall across all of international cricket this year, Axar has scored 485 runs in 17 innings at an average of 44.09, with four half-centuries and best score of 84. He also had a solid Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 for Delhi Capitals, scoring 283 runs at an average of 28.30, with one half-century with a strike rate of over 139.

Axar has not able been able to do very well as a bowler though, with three wickets in six ODIs and five wickets in eight T20Is this year, as far as white-ball cricket is concerned. He has taken three wickets across four Tests too. Overall, his numbers translate to 11 wickets in 18 matches with the best figures of 2/24.

Shardul on the other hand has been prolific with the ball, with 15 wickets in nine ODIs, with the best figures of 4/37 and overall 18 wickets in 11 international matches. The bowling all-rounder is a 'golden arm' of sorts, often breaking partnerships and taking quick wickets in twos and threes.

The Mumbai player has not had the best 2023 with the bat, scoring 48 runs in five ODIs with the best of 25 runs and overall 99 runs in seven innings, with a half-century in the World Test Championship final against Australia.

In the Super Four stage, Pakistan is at the top with a win in their match against Bangladesh and a total of two points. Sri Lanka also has one win in their match against Bangladesh and hence two points.

Bangladesh is pretty much out of the competition with two losses and most of the competition is now between Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir (travelling reserve).

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve). (ANI)