Harsha Bhogle questioned India's two selection decision for the Test series |courtesy - BCCI/AP Harsha Bhogle opened up on India's squad selection for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, where they will play an all-format series. The squad for the ODI and Test series was announced on Friday (October 16), which will begin on November 4 and 19, respectively. Bhogle claimed he was two selection decisions and pointed out at the decision to leave out Manav Suthar despite him being the highest wicket-taker on the recent tour of Sri Lanka. The veteran commentator stated that the selectors should have a long conversation to explain their decision. “Now to the two selections that I cannot put my finger on. It is very clear now that India's number one finger spinner, whether right-handed or left-handed, is Manav Sutar. We saw in the Test matches in Sri Lanka as well that he was the lead spinner. He was getting the ball ahead of everybody else. Ravindra Jadeja is a batting all-rounder who comes in as the fifth bowler. I realise that conditions there might not be conducive for Sutar to play in, especially because you might want Nitish Reddy to play a fourth seamer role that allows you room for only one spinner maybe, but a spinner who can bat higher up the order than Sutar can. “But you're looking at a young man who's worked very hard to break into the Indian side and has done remarkably well. You want to keep telling him that he's very much a part of your side. I hope there's been a very long conversation with Manav Sutar and he knows exactly where he stands. He's playing the A games. I hope he does well enough to remind people, look, I'm there, but I would always have had Manav Sutar in the team. I realise India have got Kuldeep Yadav," Bhogle added. The cricket expert also questioned if Kuldeep Yadav will actually get a chance to be part of the palying XI during the two-match Test series. “I don't know what the plan with Kuldeep Yadav is because he's one of two players who are playing all formats along with Nitish Reddy. But if you look at the way that Indian Test team is going to be structured, there's no way you're going to play less than three frontline seamers when you are in New Zealand. “Now, depending on how the conditions dictate, you might want either a fourth seamer in Nitish Reddy who can bat at number eight or you might want a second spinner. If that second spinner has to be Kuldeep, then he has to bat at number eight. Is India willing to play the gamble of playing Kuldeep Yadav as a batter at number eight or will that spot go to Washington Sundar? Depends on the conditions there," said Bhogle. He further claimed that the decision to pick Washington Sundar was surprising and claimed if the Test matches were not coming up, he would have been part of the ODI squad despite Naman Dhir's emergence but claimed he was not sure if the Tamil Nadu all-rounder will get a chance in the playing XI. “Washington Sundar is the other interesting one. He's been pulled out of all white-ball games. I've little doubt that if this was a World Cup selection that Washington Sundar would be in that squad ahead of Naman Dhir, no doubt at all. Another player who, if this ODI team had been picked for the World Cup in my book, would have got into it, would have been in the ODI side as well. We're still deciding whether he's a batter who can bowl, a bowler who can bat, but he's far too good a player not to be anywhere there. But they've told Washington Sundar, they are pulling you out of the white-ball games. Go and play for Tamil Nadu. Go and play the warm-up games for India A and be ready for the Test matches," Bhogle said. “But does he get a game in the Test match? I only hope we don't get into a situation there where Washington Sundar is pulled out of everything and then doesn't get a place in the Test match side. The other way you can play a Test match side, of course, is that you don't play Jurel or if Pant is injured, Jurel plays at five and then you play Jadeja, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar. Six bowling options. I don't know if you need those. A couple of those qualify as pure batters ahead of some other pure batters as well. “So that's an option. But I just have this little concern for Washington Sundar, pulling him out of white-ball games, but not sure if he'll get to play the red-ball games," he concluded. Disclaimer: This article summarises a report by Harsha Bhogle. While Times Now has verified the public data presented, the interpretations of 'intent' remain those of the creator. Aayush Kataria is a Senior Copy Editor at Times Network with five years of experience, having started his career in the organisation. He is a key memb... View More