VISAKHAPATNAM: The selectors must have thought that resting a couple of key players wouldn’t make much of a difference to the prospects of the Indian team as the bench strength is quite good. Taking on the fourth ranked South Africa squad which lacks ‘star power’ was supposed to be a cake walk especially since most of the Indian players had a good outing in the recent IPL.
India lost captain KL Rahul and spinner Kuldeep Yadav on the eve of the first game, but it still didn’t warrant a rethink. The selectors promptly elevated wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and made Gujarat Titans’ successful skipper Hardik Pandya his deputy.
