3 reasons why India must play Avesh Khan in the 2nd Test vs South Africa
Team India have finally announced their replacement for the injured Mohammed Shami, who was ruled out of the two-match Test series against South Africa ahead of the opening encounter. Avesh Khan, who is yet to make his debut in the format for the two-time World Test Championship finalists, has been added to the squad.
Avesh has an impressive first-class record. He has played 39 matches and has picked up 154 wickets at an average of 22.27 and an economy rate of 3.1. The 27-year-old has as many as eight five-wicket hauls to his name.
India's fast bowlers, barring Jasprit Bumrah, didn't cover themselves in glory during the first Test. While it may not always be smart to switch things around hastily, the visitors, who were thrashed by an innings and 32 runs, might need to hand out another maiden cap to pull level in the series.
Here are three reasons why India must play Avesh Khan in the second Test against South Africa.
#3 India need to switch things up in the bowling department with the series on the line
Generally speaking, making changes after just one Test isn't a prudent course of action. However, with the series on the line and crucial WTC points at stake, India need to be proactive.
Shardul Thakur has picked up just seven wickets over his last five Tests and has continually leaked runs. In the last game, he had an economy rate well above five and failed to build any pressure from his end. He also overstepped five times.
Prasidh Krishna, meanwhile, made his Test debut in Centurion. He couldn't impress either, with just one wicket and an economy rate of 4.65 to show for.
Both are candidates to be replaced. While it would be harsh to drop Prasidh after just one Test, Thakur offers a bit of batting ability at No. 8 that is hard to ignore. Nevertheless, India need to make some tough calls to salvage the series.
Bringing in Avesh for one of their underperforming supporting pacers could be a high-risk move that yields high dividends.
#2 Avesh Khan has all the ingredients to succeed in South Africa
India will know that having all the ingredients to succeed doesn't necessarily guarantee success. Prasidh's performance in the first Test is an all-too-recent example of the same, with the lanky pacer failing to deliver despite having the conditions in his favor.
However, the visitors can only make decisions based on the information at their disposal, and the information suggests that Avesh Khan could turn out to be a match-winner in the Rainbow Nation. He is tall, hits the deck hard, generates seam movement in both directions, and has a deceptive bouncer.
Moreover, Avesh's pace and accuracy seem to have improved over the last few months, before which he struggled to come to terms with top-level cricket. He seems to be entering his prime as a fast bowler, and his skillset could be of great use to Rohit Sharma in the second Test.
#1 Avesh Khan is on the back of a five-fer for India A and was good in the ODIs
Avesh Khan has had a productive tour of South Africa so far. He picked up four wickets in the opening ODI, finishing with six scalps in the series. The fast bowler hit threatening areas and seemed to be in good rhythm.
Avesh carried that form into red-ball cricket, registering a five-fer in a recent A game. He almost single-handedly propped up the Indian pace attack, with Navdeep Saini and Akash Deep managing just one wicket between them.
Avesh is clearly getting through his action well, and having a form player in their ranks could help India in the all-important second Test.