Sanjay Manjrekar names his India XI for Boxing Day Test against South Africa, leaves out Ravichandran Ashwin 

Sanjay Manjrekar believes that Team India are likely to go with just one frontline spinner in the playing XI for the upcoming Test series opener, beginning on December 26 at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

The cricketer-turned-commentator gave the nod to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja over Ravichandran Ashwin, who is the No. 1 ranked Test bowler in the ICC rankings. He argued that Jadeja would be a better choice, given his impressive record as a batter in overseas Tests.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar said:

"Because it's not known to be a turning pitch, if it is a rank turner or a pitch that is likely to turn a lot, then maybe India might have two spinners.

"Ravindra Jadeja at No. 7. I am picking him ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin because of just his batting contributions in foreign Test matches. So, he becomes that one spinner at No. 7."

Ravichandran Ashwin notably failed to make a significant impact during India's tour of South Africa in 2021-22, bagging just three wickets from six innings. Ravindra Jadeja, on the other hand, was ruled out of the Test series due to injury.

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"You just want your batting to have some cushion" - Sanjay Manjrekar backs Shardul Thakur to feature in India's playing XI for Test series opener

Sanjay Manjrekar further stated that India should go with Shardul Thakur as their No. 8 in the batting order. He opined that it is crucial to have depth in the batting order, especially for the first Test of the series. Manjrekar also pointed out how Shardul did a wonderful job with the ball during India's previous visit to the Rainbow Nation, adding:

"Then I am going with Shardul Thakur. In the first Test match, you just want your batting to have some cushion of an extra batter down the order. Plus, let's not forget that Shardul got seven wickets in the last series in South Africa."

Shardul claimed 11 wickets from six innings in the 2021-22 tour, including a seven-wicket haul in the second Test.

Sanjay Manjrekar's XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mukesh Kumar.