Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has opined that playing three spinners might not be a bad idea against reigning champions England. India will take on Three Lions at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Sunday.
The Lucknow track is expected to provide assistance to the spinners and India’s spin trio could be lethal. Ravichandran Ashwin had played in the opening match of the tournament against Australia and he picked up a single wicket.
Meanwhile, England’s Achilles Heel has been against the spinners and they were stunned by Afghanistan by 69 runs earlier in the tournament.
Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav have been bowling at their absolute best and Ashwin can also add more strength to the spin bowling battery.
“England do not play spin well. As it is, England are not playing well in the World Cup, and if the ball starts spinning, I don’t think they will be able to do much better. Playing three spinners might not be a bad option,” said Harbhajan on his YouTube Channel.
The Turbanator reckons Mohammed Siraj can given a rest as he has played back-to-back matches and India can play with both Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.
“Siraj can be rested. He has played back-to-back games. Shami has just come into the playing XI and has claimed a five-fer. If a pitch is a normal one and is not expected to offer a lot of turn, then I do not see too many changes in the team,” Harbhajan added.
The former off-spinner added that India is coming up with a collective performance as all the batters are delivering for the team.
“From Virat Kohli to Rohit Sharma, everyone has looked good. In the bowling, Shami came in and claimed five wickets. Big players are those that perform in big tournaments,” said Harbhajan.
India will next take on reigning champions England at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Sunday.
