There is a lot of uproar over Auqib Nabi not being selected for the Sri Lanka tour, but former Indian cricketer Hanuma Vihari felt sad for Jalaj Saxena. He believes that Jalaj Saxena deserved his chance in India and even at the age of 39, his wait continues.
While Saransh Jain was included in the India squad for the first time at the age of 33, Saxena is yet to get a selection call despite years of excellent performances in domestic cricket. Saransh was included in India’s Test squad as Washington Sundar was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder impressed everyone with his performances in the last Ranji Trophy and also did well for India A, which helped him earn his maiden call-up. Meanwhile, Hanuma Vihari congratulated Saransh and said that his years of hard work finally paid off.
Hanuma Vihari heartbroken after Jalaj Saxena’s defeat to India
However, the former Indian batsman said that Jalaj Saxena was unlucky as he never got such an opportunity despite performing consistently for many years in domestic cricket. Meanwhile, Irfan Pathan criticized the Indian selectors for repeatedly ignoring Auqib Nabi.
Hanuma Vihari said in a video on his YouTube channel, “I feel for a player like Jalaj Saxena. He is a legend of domestic cricket. But when he was at his peak, it was Jadeja and Ashwin. Saransh was at the right place at the right time, so he was included in the team for the first time. Such is life and luck. Congratulations to him. Years of hard work have paid off.”
Jalaj Saxena’s red-ball record has been impressive, and he is one of the most successful all-rounders in domestic cricket. The experienced all-rounder has scored 7,224 runs in first-class cricket with the help of 14 centuries and 35 half-centuries. The spinner has also taken 512 wickets, which includes 36 five-wicket hauls and 11 ten-wicket hauls in first-class cricket.
Hanuma Vihari describes India’s ideal spin attack for Sri Lanka Test
He wants Manav Suthar, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav to be India’s three main spinners in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. Vihari believes that if the pitch turns more then Saransh Jain can be the fourth spinner. However, the former Indian batsman strongly favored making Kuldeep Yadav a part of the playing eleven as he is a genuine wicket-taker.
Vihari further explained, “Kuldeep should be the third spinner in my opinion, and there is no doubt about that. If it is a rank turner, they can play a fast bowler and also play Saransh as the fourth spinner. He is a match-winner, no matter what format he is in. He takes wickets. If a bowler like him is encouraged by the captain and gets that support, he will do wonders for the team. It will be important how they use him.”
Hanuma Vihari says Sri Lanka tour will be the biggest test of Shubman Gill’s captaincy
The former Indian batsman also believes that the Sri Lanka tour will be a big challenge for captain Shubman Gill not only as a batsman but also as a leader.
“In these conditions, will he play three spinners or four? We have to see what calls he takes. The second thing is how he changes the bowling; that will be important along with field placements,” Vihari said.
