Irfan Pathan picks his likely bowling combination for India ahead of SCG Test

Former India star player Irfan Pathan has named his likely bowling combination for the final game at the SCG. The 40-year-old said that two spinners could play at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the final game of the series starting on Friday. Australia leads the series 2-1 with India needing a win to level the series and keeping their WTC hopes alive. 

Speaking to Star Sports, the former Indian star said, “I think 2 spinners will play. The second spinner we saw in Melbourne was underbowled. Maybe in Sydney Australia will want to have more grass on the pitch because historically, it turns here. So maybe there is no place for a third spinner. Unless, there is no grass and then you can bring in the third spinner. I feel two spinners and three fast bowlers should be enough."

Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar are expected to be the two spin bowlers for India. The hosts on the other hand will have Nathan Lyon leading the pack with Beau Webster likely to chip in as the second spin option. The 31-year-old Webster is set to make his debut at the SCG in place of Mitchell Marsh who failed to perform in the last four games. 

Madan Lal has his say on Rohit Sharma’s place in the final Test

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma’s place in the playing XI has come under the scanner. According to reports by Express Sport, the 37-year-old has opted out of the game with Jasprit Bumrah set to lead the side. 

Former India player and World Cup winner Madan Lal while speaking to IANS said, “Rohit is a captain. As team management, as a coach, they can sit down and sort things out. What’s the problem when you’re playing for the country? The coach doesn’t have that much power to just drop someone. They’ll have to consult, right? The team isn’t formed by the captain alone, is it? The coach and captain together form the team, right?"

The former India star also said, “Rohit has to make a decision whether to play or not to play. If he believes he can do the job and regain his form, that’s good. It’s about how you feel, your confidence. If he feels that he’s not pulling his weight, he can always step aside and give a chance to others. The only thing is that the shuffling of the batting order is a bit of an issue. First, he went to number 5, then he came back to the top of the order."