Ishan Kishan, a young left-handed wicketkeeper-batter, has been named to India’s team as a replacement for KL Rahul for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia. This match is scheduled to begin on June 7 at The Oval.
After Rahul received an injury to his right upper thigh while fielding during the IPL 2023 match between the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 1, the All-India Senior Selection Committee added Ishan.
Rahul will now have surgery and then undergo rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy. The other wicketkeeper in the squad is KS Bharat, although it was widely assumed that Rahul would wear the gloves in the final.
On that topic, here are three reasons why Ishan Kishan should not be in India’s Test team.
3) Ishan Kishan struggles against seam and swing
Ishan Kishan has demonstrated a tendency to suffer when the ball pitches and seams or swings away from him throughout his brief career. Despite his desire to attack, bowlers have attempted to seam the ball away from him, and he is frequently left fishing at these deliveries.
The weather in England will help the seamers, but if it is foggy, Ishan will have his work cut out for him against the star-studded Australian speed attack.
Despite the Indian management’s desire for Ishan to face the bowlers, the left-handed batsman would have to work extremely hard against pace and quality seam bowling.
2) Better option in Wriddhiman Saha
Other than Wriddhiman Saha, there are just a few better choices in India for wicketkeeping. The Bengal batsman was sturdy behind the stumps, and his technical ability would have come in handy in England, particularly against the swinging ball.
Apart from that, Saha has been in phenomenal hitting form in this year’s IPL. He has been the primary component in the powerplay in Gujarat Titans’ previous two victories.
Against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on a flat Ahmedabad deck, Saha blasted 54 of the 78 runs smashed in the first six overs and was absolutely creaming the bowlers. Given his expertise and recent run of form with the bat, he may have been given a chance.
1) Issues against the short ball
Ishan Kishan struggles against the short ball. Although he looks to take on bowlers and can play the occasional pull or hook shot, the left-hander has had his share of troubles if the strategy is implemented well.
Sunil Gavaskar, former India opener, has previously stated that the left-handed batsman will be an easy target against concentrated short-pitched stuff.
“I think he was rattled by the blow he got. Don’t forget, in the past, he had been hit on the helmet. It actually is not a good sign because it means, in places like Australia and South Africa where there is extra bounce, he is going to be like a rabbit caught in the headlights,” Gavaskar said.
Ishan Kishan has a 38-run average in 82 first-class innings. This indicates that he hasn’t been able to put up large numbers against the red ball on generally flat Indian wickets. He has only scored six hundred in first-class cricket, and the adjustment to Test cricket might prove difficult for him.
