4 courageous decisions that can help India defend their Asia Cup Title

#1 Drafting Prithvi Shaw and Krunal Pandya into the squad

Prithvi Shaw can devastate the bowling line-up upfront

The inclusion of Prithvi Shaw and Krunal Pandya in the squad is another startling move but promises to pay good dividends.

The tour of England will come to an end on 11 September and Team India shall take the field again in a week, playing two matches in two days. Thus, the team will have a very short duration to regroup and reassess.

With injuries taking a toll on players of late, it is necessary to provide adequate rest to the players, keeping the tours Down Under and New Zealand in mind, along with the all-important World Cup in 2019.

With the extremely hectic nature of the tournament, Prithvi Shaw can step into the shoes as one of the openers in a couple of matches, especially the starting one against the qualifying team.

The U-19 skipper is a devastating batsman upfront, who can unsettle the bowling attack with his aggressive yet technically sound strokes. Having got a debut Test call, the Mumbai-lad can well receive a call in the 50-over format also.

Prithvi Shaw and Krunal Pandya shall bring the elements of surprise and versatility to the side. Both the players come on the back of successful domestic outings with India A, preceded by a thunderous run in the IPL.

Krunal Pandya can bring great balance into the squad

Krunal Pandya vies for a spot in the 11 with Axar Patel. Despite Axar's heroics in the recent county match, Pandya is a more suitable candidate, since he can give the ball a good whack towards the end and can also roll his arm on the dry UAE pitches.

The 27-year old is a livewire on the field and can trap the opposition batsmen off guard with his great athleticism. Pandya recently received the Lala Amarnath Award for his sensational exploits in the domestic circuit.

With Team India trying many combinations in recent times, the U19 skipper and the Baroda all-rounder also deserve a place in the squad.