Asia Cup 2022: "Should have picked Deepak Chahar as Ravindra Jadeja's replacement" - Saba Karim on the India's team selection

Former Indian cricketer and national selector Saba Karim believes that Rohit Sharma and Co. made the wrong decision by replacing the injured Ravindra Jadeja with Axar Patel in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.

During a discussion on India News Sports, he pointed out that the side should have picked Deepak Chahar instead, considering that they didn't have a backup seamer in their lineup. Chahar, who recently returned from injury, is in the reserve list of players.

Karim suggested that the team already have enough spin bowling options and would have benefited by adding an extra pacer. He stated:

"We saw how pacers played a major role in the first two matches. The selectors should have picked Deepak Chahar as Ravindra Jadeja's replacement as they went with three pacers in the earlier games. We already had three spinners in the squad. This shows that the selectors didn't think much while naming the replacement."

Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma also echoed Karim's sentiments, stating that Chahar would have been a more useful option for Team India. He highlighted the right-armer's ability to make an impact with the new ball. The former Delhi cricketer explained:

"Instead of adding Axar Patel to the squad, they could have replaced Ravindra Jadeja with Deepak Chahar. He is a specialist in the T20 format and is a wicket-taker. He swings the ball and is capable of taking early wickets. Pakistan wouldn't have been able to chase the total if he was there in this game."

Axar Patel, who was added to the squad ahead of India's Super 4 clash against Pakistan, wasn't a part of playing XI for the fixture. Rohit Sharma and Co. side suffered a heartbreaking five-wicket loss in the clash.

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"He has not played the role of a fifth bowler since his return" - Saba Karim on Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya

Karim further added that India have played five frontline bowlers in their recent T20I matches, while Hardik Pandya has always been the sixth bowling option.

The former wicketkeeper-batter mentioned that Pandya had to deal with added pressure as he was the fifth bowler for the Men in Blue against Pakistan. Karim opined that this happened as the selectors hadn't named an extra pacer in the squad for the continental event. He added:

"The selectors made a mistake by not having a reserve seamer in the squad. If they would have done that, then the reserve bowler could have straightaway replaced Avesh Khan in the playing XI.

"We had stuck to the ploy of having five frontline bowlers and Hardik Pandya as the sixth bowling option in the last few months and it has proved to be successful. But we didn't do that this time and Hardik had to be the fifth bowler. This added more pressure on Pandya as he has not played the role of a fifth bowler since his return."

India will next be seen in action on Tuesday, September 6, when they take on Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Stadium.