Former World Cup winner Harbhajan Singh has offered a unique piece of advice to Rohit Sharma and the Indian team ahead of their clash with England in the 2023 World Cup. With Hardik Pandya likely to be unavailable for the game, Harbhajan suggests bringing in Ashwin and playing three spinners in the XI due to England’s struggles against spin.
Team India has been on an unbeaten streak in the tournament, winning all five of their matches so far. In their last match against New Zealand, despite the absence of Pandya due to an ankle issue, India emerged victorious with Virat Kohli’s impressive 95. Suryakumar Yadav, Pandya’s replacement, faced an unfortunate run-out, and Mohammed Shami, in place of Shardul Thakur, made a remarkable start with a five-wicket haul.
As India faces defending champions England, who have had a challenging start to their campaign, Harbhajan emphasizes the potential advantage of playing three spinners.
“Kuldeep Yadav has been in good form, and I’m curious if we’ll witness three spinners in the next game – Kuldeep, Jadeja, and Ashwin. It’s a possibility because England struggles against spin. Currently, England is not performing well in the World Cup, and if the ball starts spinning, their performance might not improve. Opting for three spinners could be a good choice,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
Harbhajan suggests resting Mohammed Siraj for the upcoming game, considering he has played in all five matches.
“Siraj can take a break; he’s been playing consecutive games. Shami recently joined the playing XI and took five wickets. If the pitch is normal without much turn expected, I don’t foresee many changes in the team. The lineup that faced New Zealand might stay the same. However, considering it’s England we’re up against, a slower pitch could be preferred,” he concluded.