New Delhi, Feb 12 (.) India have made two changes to their playing XI for the ICC clash against Namibia, bringing in Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah. Samson replaces the injured Abhishek Sharma, who is still not fully fit and may miss a game or two, while Bumrah comes in for Mohammed Siraj.
Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus won the toss and chose to field first on what he described as a “very good flat cricketing surface.”
Erasmus said the decision was influenced by both the pitch and dew conditions. “It is about tightening our skillset. Looks like a good wicket, try and chase it in the second half. That’s why we play cricket, to entertain,” he said. Namibia have also made two changes to their side.
Namibia (Playing XI): Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus(c), JJ Smit, Zane Green(w), Ruben Trumpelmann, Malan Kruger, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, Max Heingo
India captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed satisfaction with the team’s approach and the toss outcome. “We were looking to bat first. Very happy with it. As long as we are losing the toss and winning the game, we are fine with it,” he said.
Suryakumar acknowledged that dew could be a major factor in the match but added that defending totals gives the side confidence.
India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
The game promises an exciting contest, with India relying on the explosive batting of Samson and the pace of Bumrah, while Namibia look to execute their skills and chase a competitive target under favorable conditions.
. . CDS