“What Suresh Raina did all these years, that is exactly what Deepak Hooda will do” – Sarandeep Singh breaks down India’s XI for Pakistan clash

Deepak Hooda, with his all-round skills, should walk into the playing XI even at the expense of a frontline bowler, feels former national selector Sarandeep Singh. India begin their Asia Cup title defence against Pakistan on Sunday in Dubai.

Having made his international debut in February this year, Hooda has taken to the T20 format like a duck to water. Singh, who served as the North Zone selector from 2016 to 2020, stated that Deepak Hooda should pip Suryakumar Yadav to the No. 4 spot by virtue of being a sixth bowling option.

“The way Deepak Hooda has performed, he should be the first name on the sheet. He should play at No. 4, because he can also bowl which Suryakumar Yadav cannot. If the main bowlers are put under pressure, then Hooda can bowl one or two overs. If he takes wickets, it’s a bonus. If not, then also it’s fine. What Suresh Raina did all these years, that is exactly what Deepak Hooda will do. He is batting well, had a fantastic IPL, performed in whatever opportunities he got, and has also bowled well,” Sarandeep Singh said in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.

The 27-year-old has scored 274 runs in seven innings, at an impeccable average and strike-rate of 54.80 and 161.17 respectively. In the Lucknow Super Giants’ run-up to the IPL 2022 knockouts, the Baroda lad scored 451 runs at a strike-rate of 136.67 and also chipped in with his handy off-spin.

But with Dinesh Karthik all set to don the finisher’s hat, India will be left with just three genuine bowlers.

“In that case, there will be two genuine fast bowlers and Hardik [Pandya]. In the spin department, after Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeja] and [Yuzvendra] Chahal, Hooda will be the sixth bowler. So you can either play all three Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar], Arshdeep [Singh] and Avesh [Khan], or drop Avesh for Hooda. Because he can contribute with the bat, ball, and also on the field. If you play three fast bowlers, then you will have a long tail. If Avesh Khan bowls well, then it’s fine. Otherwise, he can’t do much on the field or with the bat,” Singh opined.

Sarandeep Singh, who was in charge of assembling India’s squad for the 2019 World Cup, likened Deepak Hooda’s role to the one Kedar Jadhav played at the 50-over showpiece event. Exhorting the current management to back Hooda to the hilt, the former India off-spinner noted that the Asia Cup will also put to test his temperament in clutch situations.

“When we were going with Kedar Jadhav, he was there to bowl six to seven overs and was also taking one or two wickets in every game. So he was completing our six bowlers. Suppose if Kuldeep Yadav was getting hit for runs, Kedar was being brought into the attack. And he was scoring with the bat as well. So it is important to have batters who can bowl, and they will anyway eat up a genuine batter’s place.

“Since Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer don’t bowl, Deepak Hooda has benefitted at their expense. And we’ll also get to know how Hooda performs in big matches. If he continuously sits out, he also wouldn’t figure out what he needs to do to get in. I feel they should back Hooda. He is a confident and seasoned player who has been scoring runs for so many years, so he is a very strong contender for the World Cup playing XI,” Singh, who played 3 Tests and 5 ODIs, elaborated.

In the last four T20Is Deepak Hooda played across the West Indies and England series, he batted one-down on three occasions and at No. 6 in one game in St. Kitts, aggregating 102 runs at 164.65.

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“Doesn’t make sense to take a 37 y/o & make him warm the bench” – Sarandeep Singh feels DK is a certainty

Among players who played at least 10 innings in IPL 2022, Dinesh Karthik had the highest strike-rate of 183.33

If both Deepak Hooda and the bowling department are to be satiated, then it’d signal Dinesh Karthik’s snub. After a power-packed IPL season with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the 37-year-old wicketkeeper-batter entered the Indian team to provide the same rapid finishes.

Sarandeep Singh, however, feels that DK has been picked to only be in the playing XI. The 42-year-old spoke highly of his ability to propel a modest total to an above-par one.

“Looking at the current gameplan, they will go with DK only. Because, it doesn’t make sense to take a 37-year-old player and make him warm the bench. And he’s doing really well actually, he’s been performing in matches. A youngster might miss out, but you can’t drop DK after taking him in the squad.

“He will score those 20 or 25 runs in nine deliveries. In the matches he’s scored, it actually turned out to be very crucial. If it looks like the total will be 130-140, DK will push it to 170. He has that impact and of course the experience of so many years. All I’m saying, you have to be sure that the playing XI on August 28 will go to the World Cup. And you have to back them, until and unless someone performs poorly in the whole tournament,” he reiterated.

Going by sheer stats (and not impact), Karthik has scored just 100 runs in the last nine innings he has strode out for India. An unbeaten 19-ball 41 against the West Indies aside, he has failed to cross even 12 on all the other occasions.

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India’s spin conundrum

Ravichandran Ashwin is largely seen as a containing option, while the leggies can snare regular wickets [Credits: SK]

If at all India elongate their batting, DK and Ravindra Jadeja will be shuffled between the No. 7 and 8 slots. Rohit Sharma can also avail the services of Ravichandran Ashwin to bridge the gap between a muscular middle-order and a browbeaten tail.

But Singh doesn’t see the off-spinner in the fray. In fact, he threw his weight behind 21-year-old Ravi Bishnoi to get the nod ahead of fellow leggie Yuzvendra Chahal.

“I am not sure about Ravichandran Ashwin. He should play only if you are sure that he will be taken to the World Cup. But if you are still not sure about your World Cup squad, then it is a problem. On the other hand, both Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi are performing well. In fact, Bishnoi is looking more effective than Chahal. He hasn’t played much, so oppositions haven’t quite figured him out. With Jadeja a certainty, the other spinner should be finalised in the Asia Cup itself. Against Pakistan, India should field their best XI, which will be the World Cup team as well,” he emphasised.

While playing both of them – along with Jadeja – is an option, Sarandeep Singh wants the focus to be on the combination best suited for Australian conditions. He also pointed out that none of the leg-spinners can prove handy with the willow.

“You have to look at the combination for Australia. Even here [in the UAE], it’s not like you’ll get turners. If you want to play three spinners, then you’ll have to drop one fast bowler or a batter. Neither of Chahal or Bishnoi can bat, so then it’ll affect your batting,” the Punjab lad added.

In the recent tour to the Caribbean and the USA, Bishnoi finished as India’s highest wicket-taker with 8 scalps at a stunning average of 8.62 with a career-best 4 for 16 to boot.

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“Quite baffling that the most consistent player is nowhere to be seen” – Sarandeep Singh

Ishan Kishan could have been the third designated opener

If the captaincy has been on a merry-go-round in the past few months, so has the opening combination. After trying out two different duos for the twin T20Is in Ireland in June, India used two different sets each versus England and the West Indies.

While opening with Rishabh Pant in the two games in England can still be justified, promoting Suryakumar Yadav – fresh from his maiden international hundred at No. 4 – against the Windies seemed preposterous.

But with regular opener KL Rahul having recovered from his sports hernia surgery and a bout of Covid-19, Sarandeep Singh wants India to go back to their old guard and not tinker further.

“Rishabh and Suryakumar Yadav opened the innings since KL Rahul was unfit and hence out of the team. But now, since he’s back, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma is the only choice for the opening combination. If we promote Surya or Rishabh to the top, then their form won’t be that consistent and they will also remain puzzled. Only if one of Rohit or Rahul gets injured, then Rishabh or SKY can come up,” he told Sportskeeda.

However, pointing out that there isn’t any designated third opener, Singh expressed perplexity over the exclusion of Ishan Kishan. The ex-India selector is even in favour of accommodating the 24-year-old at the cost of sacrificing the regular spots of the big guns.

“I feel Ishan Kishan is a big miss. I am looking at him as a third opener, after Rohit and KL. Especially if you are not going with Shikhar Dhawan and Ishan Kishan was part of the last World Cup. And whatever matches he’s played for India and the A side, he has scored in every one of them. He’s suddenly out of the game. Even in Zimbabwe, he got just one game. It’s quite baffling that the most consistent player is nowhere to be seen. I felt, not just the Asia Cup, he should be in the World Cup squad too. His game is ideal for Australian conditions. You could have even pushed Virat down to No.4 and played him at No. 3, or even Rohit could have come in at one-down,” he explained.

After getting regular opportunities and scoring heavily in the home series against Sri Lanka and South Africa, the southpaw got just one game each in England and the West Indies. What is more, Ishan Kishan – who can bat anywhere and also keep wickets – does not even feature among the three stand-by players for this Asia Cup.

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Time to graduate from possibility to certainty

One among the three is likely to miss out on a T20 World Cup berth [Credits: SK]

Indian fans will be taking solace in India captain Rohit Sharma’s admission a few days ago that 80 to 90 percent of the World Cup squad is ready. But the fringe players will be looking at it as still having an opportunity to make the cut. While the batting unit is all but settled, the bowling department is yet to be finalised.

No more than five fast bowlers will board the flight to Australia. Jasprit Bumrah, Harshal Patel – both of whom are currently nursing injuries – and Bhuvneshwar Kumar can be considered certainties. The battle for the two remaining spots will be between left-armer Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan and Deepak Chahar.

Sarandeep Singh feels Arshdeep is above Avesh in the pecking order and wants the management to give the Punjab pacer a long run regardless of results.

“Arshdeep is a strong contender, I am telling you. He’s one guy who has a bright future in T20s. I feel he should definitely go to the World Cup; he’s been performing well and he’s a leftie fast bowler as well. Since Bumrah and Harshal Patel will return, only one among Arshdeep and Avesh Khan will get the nod. But I feel Arshdeep should be there, because there is no left-armer and he’s been performing consistently and nailing those yorkers. He should be backed, even if he’s hit for runs. If he bowls well, he can emerge a match-winner and be a good support to Bhuvi and Bumrah,” he urged.

Deepak Chahar, who has just returned after a long injury lay-off, is in the reserves along with Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer. Even though he played two ODIs on the recently-concluded Zimbabwe tour, Singh reasoned why it was a fair call to leave him out of the main squad.

“Deepak Chahar has just returned from injury. Yes he bowled against Zimbabwe but, everyone knew, you needn’t put that much effort there. But generally, you can’t rush with him because he was out for about six months. He has recovered but he needs match practice. Because in pressure matches, nerves get tight since you are thinking hard. Against Zimbabwe, his job was just to go and bowl on a length. Even though the last game ran very close, the pressure is not the same like while playing Pakistan or Bangladesh,” he said.

Coming back to the Asia Cup, India’s playing XI to take on Babar Azam’s boys is also all but ready. The only toss-up would be between Avesh Khan’s express pace and the all-round skills of Deepak Jagbir Hooda.