"It would be a career-changing move for Rahane" - Brad Hogg wants India to put a hold on the idea of bringing in Suryakumar Yadav
Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg is against the idea of India potentially replacing Ajinkya Rahane in the middle-order. There have been talks surrounding Rahane's poor form as of late, with either one of Suryakumar Yadav or Hanuma Vihari taking up his spot.
Ajinkya Rahane has struggled with inconsistency over a large portion of his career, and the recent string of low scores has left him with more concern. His current form mirrors the state of the Indian middle-order at the moment, as runs have been hard to come by. Over the course of three Tests so far, Rahane has compiled a solitary fifty in the second innings of the Lord's Test.
Brad Hogg notes how drastic a potential change would be since, if brought in, Suryakumar Yadav will have to be given enough opportunities as well, which leaves Rahane out in the cold. While speaking on his YouTube channel, Hogg said:
'There is a big thought and I'm thinking it as well to bring Surykumar Yadav in at number 5 in place of Ajinkya Rahane, but once you do that, Ajinkya Rahane is out for good, it is a career-changing move and you've got to give Suryakumar Yadav a number of opportunities. I don't think you want to pull the cord yet , you need that experience."
Brad Hogg outlines the perils of playing Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav was brought in as a late injury replacement along with Prithvi Shaw. The Mumbai Indians batsman has been in good form as of late, but has never played the longest format for India, and the challenge only increases in complexity, given the conditions in England.
Hogg feels that the inclusion of Suryakumar Yadav will hamper the team's combination and will impact the stability of the batting order as well. Hogg added:
'Having Surykumar Yadav and Pant coming in together at 5 and 6 exposes that lower order because both players are aggressive."
India will have to assess their current playing XI and also take the playing conditions into account following a barrage of poor decisions right from the toss in the third Test at Leeds.
The fourth Test starting today (September 2) will be contested at The Oval. The series is currently tied at 1-1.