Aakash Chopra Picks His Openers For South Africa Test Series

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has picked his openers for the upcoming Test series against South Africa. The BCCI announced the squad on December 8 and in the process also announced Rohit Sharma as the ODI skipper of the side. The ODI series will be his first assignment as the next ODI skipper of the side.

Meanwhile, in his column for ESPN Cricinfo, Aakash Chopra has spoken about who according to him should open in the Test series.

“Agarwal started cautiously against the New Zealand fast bowlers and looked decisive with his foot movement and shot selection. As soon as the spinners arrived, he switched on his A game. He is one of the finest Indian players of spin, with as much confidence in his defensive technique as he has competence in strokeplay,” Chopra wrote on his column in ESPNCricinfo.

“The foundation of his game against spin is the ability to stretch fully when the ball is full, and to go deep inside the crease for short-pitched deliveries. He is quick to dance down the pitch but not reckless in his shot selection when he does. In fact, it seems like he steps out to try to get as close to the ball as possible, then playing along the ground.”

Chopra also lauded Mayank’s ability to keep the scoreboard rotating and playing the spinners well in the middle overs.

Mayank Agarwal Is Attacking Against Spinners: Aakash Chopra

“The second part of Agarwal’s success in attacking against spin is his ability to pick areas in the field that are rarely manned in the longer format. Not that he can’t clear the fence – he does it regularly in T20 – but in Test cricket it’s important to pick areas where even a half-decent connection is enough to fetch a boundary. His inside-out shot over cover against left-arm spinners and over mid-off to offspinners are two such shots that target optimal areas in the field,” said Chopra.

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are likely to open the innings in the Test series while Chopra said that Mayank can play in the middle-order as well.

“In a nutshell, he has everything it takes to be a superb player against spin, which will always make him a successful player at home. If he continues to develop his game against pace, he will continue to present himself as a tempting option. Considering his prowess against spinners, India might start viewing him as an option for the middle order if a spot doesn’t open up at the top,” said Chopra.

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