3 reasons why India should pick Shardul Thakur ahead of Mohammed Shami and Axar Patel for their Asia Cup 2023 clash vs Pakistan

Team India have most bases covered in the lead-up to their Asia Cup 2023 clash against Pakistan in Pallekele on Saturday, September 2.

Shreyas Iyer's return from injury has boosted their middle order, and Ishan Kishan is expected to slot in for KL Rahul, who has been ruled out of the first two matches of the competition. Elsewhere, the bowling lineup is nearly settled, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav being sure-shot starters.

Perhaps the only real question India need to answer ahead of their high-octane clash is whether to go with an additional spinner in Axar Patel or a third frontline fast bowler. Among fast bowlers, they have Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, and Prasidh Krishna to choose from.

While Prasidh, who has only just returned from a long-term back injury, is unlikely to be thrown into the cauldron in such a high-profile game, Shami and Thakur are locked in a fight. This is a decision that could go either way depending upon what the Men in Blue are looking for, but certain players have key factors in their favor.

Here are three reasons why India should pick Shardul Thakur ahead of Mohammed Shami and Axar Patel for their Asia Cup 2023 clash against Pakistan.

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#3 Rain is on the forecast for Saturday

There has been a bit of drizzle around the Pallekele nets in Sri Lanka

Axar becomes an excellent option on turning wickets, with the all-rounder offering accurate left-arm spin and spin-hitting with the bat. India have played him in tandem with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in the Test format and could be tempted to do the same (with Kuldeep Yadav instead of Ashwin) in ODIs as well.

However, there's rain on the forecast for Saturday's clash, which might even have a delayed start. India will want to make the most of the overhead conditions, which could assist the fast bowlers early on and maybe even throughout the contest.

The last match of the Asia Cup has suggested that there's definitely something in the wicket for the pacers, with Pakistan's fast-bowling trio, in particular, using the nip on offer. With there being question marks over Jasprit Bumrah's bowling fitness for the 50-over format, they will do well to beef up their pace unit.

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#2 Shardul Thakur's recent ODI numbers are better than those of Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami in action, New Zealand v India - ODI: Game 1

Shami is a world-class bowler on his day, but he hasn't been able to get it right over the last few years in ODIs.

In eight ODIs this calendar year, Shami has picked up just 10 wickets at an average of 30.00 and an economy rate of 5.66. His averages over the last two calendar years he has played for the Men in Blue don't make for great reading either (29.25 in four ODIs in 2022 and 32.75 in six ODIs in 2020).

Thakur, meanwhile, has consistently managed to provide breakthroughs while managing to reduce his economy rate over the last two years. He scalped 22 wickets in 16 ODIs in 2022 at an economy rate of 5.6 and has had a productive 2023, with 14 scalps in seven matches at an economy rate of 5.92.

Moreover, Thakur can offer something few other players in India can...

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#1 India desperately need a capable batter at No. 8

We've seen what Shardul Thakur can do at the international level

Shami is not entirely hopeless with the bat, but he has a highest score of 25 in the ODI format. Thakur is clearly the better batting option, with 315 runs in the format at an average of 18.5 and a strike rate of 106.1. He also has a highest score of 50*.

India have consistently experienced the pitfalls of having four No. 11s, with Kuldeep, Siraj and Bumrah barely offering anything with the bat. Not only do the Men in Blue lose out on valuable lower-order runs in the final few overs, but they also reduce the effectiveness of their already struggling all-rounders by not giving them the requisite support.

Thakur is a capable batter who has proven himself across conditions and formats. He could come up with some meaningful contributions at No. 8 if he's picked ahead of Shami.