Can a good batting track at Motera bring Ishan Kishan into the equation?

The relatively better batting track at the Narendra Modi Stadium could well bring Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan into the mix following a poor performance by KS Bharat in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Bharat, who has been drafted in as Rishabh Pant’s back-up for the past one year and has been an India A regular, has scored 8, 6, 23 not out, 17 and 3 in the five innings he has played in the first three. has made. testing. His wicketkeeping on slow turners has been impressive, even though he made a few mistakes on a fiery turner in Indore.

However, 57 runs in five innings certainly hasn’t been beneficial for the Indian team as its batting unit is already struggling on tough pitches.

Before the final Test, head coach Rahul Dravid came to Bharat’s defense when asked about the lack of runs with his bat.

“We are not (worried) and it again comes down to the approach and understanding of some of the challenges and conditions that he has put himself in and even though it is not a big contribution, he scored 17 runs in the first innings.” Dravid.

“Good contribution came in Delhi where he played positively, and you need a bit of luck in these conditions and he probably doesn’t have that, and he’s shaping up really well and is really playing for us,” he added. We are keeping well. So we need to apply. On Tuesday, Dravid spent a lot of time with Kishan as he got two different hits in the nets. Bharat was rested from the optional session but is likely to join the training session on Wednesday.

A firm look at the Motera track and even bounce means Kishan’s aggressive batting style could be the team’s favourite. The impact of Rishabh Pant’s horrific accident was never felt more than during the series where India lacked a counter-attacking batsman in the middle order who could take the game away in a season.

Ravindra Jadeja and Akshar Patel are all-rounders and capable of playing match-winning innings, but certainly not X-factor players who can change the game in a single season.

Suryakumar Yadav was tried in Nagpur but that was due to the absence of Shreyas Iyer.

The only factor going against Kishan is the presence of two off-spinners in the Australian ranks. Kishan has had trouble with turning balls, but that has happened in white-ball cricket, where he has to attack straight away.

The Indian team management also needs to keep in mind that if India play the WTC final against Australia at The Oval, which is more than likely, India could be a moving wicket against the trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

With no chances of Pant recovering in the near future, Kishan is a better option and Motera is probably the best place to test him and see if he has the requisite temperament to play the traditional format, if flawlessly. Technology is not.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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