Xtra Time Web Desk: With so much of rains being predicted in Southampton over the next couple of days, it becomes important to pick the best playing XI according to the conditions. prevailing in Southampton The first session play has already been washed out in Ageas Bowl just 20 minutes before the scheduled toss. India has already announced their playing XI while New Zealand are yet to announce their XI. The BlackCaps management are adopting a wait and watch approach before finalizing the playing XI. Former India cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has given an important update regarding team combination from Southampton.
Gavaskar stated that until the captains share the team sheets with each other during the toss, nothing is finalized.
“Yes, that’s the thing. See, they might have announced the team yesterday, [but] nothing is finalized until the captains share the sheets with each other during the toss. So, you can change the team till the very last moment. As a captain, when I used to be confused between playing a spinner or an extra batsman, I used to see the opposition’s eleven and scratch and change the team on my paper just before the toss.”
The former India captain also reckons that Virat Kohli need to go in with an extra batsman.
“The eleven can be changed anytime before the toss. So I feel like maybe they’ll think of playing another batsman because of the weather. Because these conditions are suitable for New Zealand fast bowlers so Rishabh Pant is at six, he might shift to seven and an extra batsman might play. Seeing this weather, one spinner might be dropped,” Gavaskar said in an interview to Aaj Tak.