3 reasons why India dropping KS Bharat for the 1st Test vs WI is the wrong move
India, led by Rohit Sharma, enjoyed a great day on the field yesterday as they skittled the West Indies out for a score of 150. Having won the toss, WI captain Kraigg Brathwaite opted to bat first but failed to take an early advantage in the game.
Ravichandran Ashwin was the chief destroyer as he picked up yet another five-wicket haul, his 22nd in Test cricket. After bowling WI out, India batted extremely well to end the day unscathed with 80 runs on the board. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma will resume proceedings for India on Day 2.
Congratulations to Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan who are all set to make their Test debut for #TeamIndia.
Go well, lads!
#WIvIND https://t.co/h2lIvgU6Zp
Ahead of the start of play, India awarded Test caps to Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan. While Jaiswal's debut was predicted by pundits and fans alike, not many expected Kishan to start. The general belief was that KS Bharat would be given a few more opportunities before a change and hence, his axing was met with a lot of criticism.
On that note, here's a look at three reasons why India dropping Bharat was a wrong decision:
#1 Bharat played against a tough opponent and on challenging pitches
KS Bharat made his Test debut in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy in the beginning of the year. He has since, featured in five Tests, all against Australia. One of those Tests was the final of the World Test Championship which India lost. While Kishan is making his debut against a comparitively weaker side, Bharat had to face the Aussies.
The pitches were also quite challenging as most of the senior players also struggled. Hence, India should have given some more time to Bharat who will certainly feel hard done by.
#2 Similar stats at first-class level
Some people believe that Ishan Kishan is a better batter than Bharat, but the stats tell a different story. Kishan has a first-class average of 38.76 while Bharat is not far behind at 36.91. It should also be noted that Bharat has played 91 games while Kishan has only 48 appearances to his credit.
Hence, Kishan's sample size is quite small when we compare it to Bharat's who is close to reaching the landmark of 100 games. As such, it seems like the management has gone with instinct or belief which is not really ideal as Bharat has done the hard yards and undergone baptism by fire.
#3 Been made a scapegoat
India's senior players havent really had a great time in the longest format of the game. Rohit Sharma, barring his century in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series has struggled big time. If we ignore their centuries on a flast Ahmedabad track, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli have also been underperforming in recent times.
Ajinkya Rahane has been reinstated as the vice-captain of the side on the back of a couple of good knocks in the WTC Final. As such, it feels as though, Bharat has been treated indifferently. Bharat has not been given enough opportunities to prove himself, while the senior batsmen have been given more chances based on their reputation.