"Rahane must also be knowing that it could be his final Test" - Danish Kaneria on the playing XI for the 2nd India-New Zealand Test
Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has noted that Cheteshwar Pujara should be the batter making way for the returning Virat Kohli in the second Test against New Zealand.
The series is poised at 0-0 and the contest in Mumbai is set to be the decider.
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Kaneria noted that the team management should give Ajinkya Rahane another chance. There is a lot of pressure on the under-performing middle-order batter, especially when the candidates on the sidelines are resting their case with consistent performances.
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaneria said:
"I will definitely go with Ajinkya Rahane in the playing XI and leave out Pujara. Kohli comes in for Pujara. It is important to give Rahane this Test match. He is a class of a player.
"Rahane, who is already under a lot of pressure, must also be knowing that it could be the final Test of his career. It is difficult to make a comeback after being dropped."
Apart from the shuffle in the batting unit, Kaneria also wishes to see a change in the bowling department.
He believes that Mohammed Siraj is better suited to bowl on the Wankhede surface and should make it to the playing XI at the expense of Ishant Sharma. The 40-year-old added:
"There needs to be a change in the bowling department, it is an important match so experience is required, so Prasidh Krishna is not a choice.
"I would rest Ishant Sharma and play Mohammad Siraj. He would be able to reverse the ball as well. He will also be able to get some movement with the sea breeze."
Ishant Sharma was the least used bowler in the Kanpur Test. He could not claim a wicket in the fixture across the 20 overs he bowled.
The pace trio of Wagner, Southee and Jamieson would be lethal: Kaneria
New Zealand head into the contest on the back of an exceptional survival feat. Kaneria notes that their batting does not require a tweak, but they should change their three-spinner approach.
He feels that Wagner should be an inclusion in Wankhede, given his aggression and ability to extract bounce.
"Wagner should be an inclusion. He is an attacking bowler, if you give him a six-over burst, he might leak runs, but he can get wickets as well. He will get a lot of bounce from the Mumbai wicket. The pace trio of Wagner, Southee and Jamieson would be lethal. No need for any change in their batting," Kaneria said.
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The second Test between India and New Zealand is slated to start on December 3 (Friday) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.