Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir believes India must include Hanuma Vihari in the final showdown against South Africa at Cape Town. The cricketer from Andhra had a good outing in Johannesburg and deserves a place in the playing XI.
Vihari, who had an excellent run during India A’s tour of South Africa, was surprisingly kept out of the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test. An untimely injury for Virat Kohli opened doors for Hanuma Vihari to play the second match.
But the question remains what happens to Vihari when Virat Kohli returns. Gautam Gambhir reckoned that Vihari would be extremely unlucky to miss out on the next game.
“It will be very unfortunate if he doesn’t play the next Test because if Rahane has scored a fifty, then Hanuma Vihari has also scored 40 not out. If Hanuma Vihari had batted at that number instead of Rahane, probably he would have also scored a fifty,” said Gambhir during an interaction on Star Sports.
The cricketer-turned-politician added:
“The control with which Vihari has batted in both the innings, you want to give such a batter a long rope. It should not be that you play him a match, then leave him out and play him the next Test after six months or a year.”
Ajinkya Rahane should make way for Virat Kohli – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir, who was recently appointed as the mentor of the Lucknow-based IPL franchise, said that Hanuma Vihari should be slotted at No. 5 while returning skipper should continue to retain his No. 4 position.
“We have seen for a long time what performance Rahane has given. I believe when Virat Kohli comes in the next Test match, he bats at No. 4 in place of Rahane and Vihari bats at No. 5. It’s the right move and right direction going forward as well because if the team management has backed Rahane so much, the time has come to back Hanuma Vihari as much because he has looked very solid in both innings,” Gambhir concluded.
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