Former Indian selector Devang Gandhi has opined that current Indian cricket team batter Hanuma Vihari deserves a fair run to cement his place in the Test playing XI. Vihari, who was one of the heroes of India’s overseas Test series win against Australia in 2020-21, was benched for most of the Test matches after that series.
After his heroics in the Test series against the Australian cricket team, Vihari has played only one Test match. It was against South Africa earlier this year when the former captain Virat Kohli was ruled out with an injury. Vihari has played 13 Test matches in his career so far, and only one of them has taken place on home soil.
The Indian team management backed the veteran duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane for a long time. They gave the duo chances to save their places, but the selectors finally gave up on them ahead of the ICC World Test Championship series against the Sri Lankan cricket team. Both players are currently trying to regain their form in the 2022 Ranji Trophy season.
Now, the Indian cricket team is set to play a home Test series without Rahane and Pujara. Former selector Devang Gandhi talked about Hanuma Vihari in an interview with PTI and said:
“Firstly, Vihari has played only one Test at home and he, above everyone, else deserves a fair run.”
Devang Gandhi explains why Hanuma Vihari must bat below Rishabh Pant in the Sri Lanka Test series
Further, Gandhi discussed Vihari’s batting position and said that he should bat at number six because the SG Test ball will get older and he can play well against the spinners. Also, he mentioned how having Rishabh Pant in the Top 5 will give a right hand-left hand variety.
“Mayank, Rohit, Shubman and Virat are all right handers. It’s better if at No.5 we have a left-hander to get the left-right combination going followed by Vihari at No.6 and Ravindra Jadeja, again a left-hander at No.7,” Gandhi concluded.
