India vs South Africa, ICC Champions Trophy: Sourav Ganguly predicts playing XI for do-or-die clash. No place for Hardik Pandya?

Team India all set to play against South Africa in a must-win Group B game of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 at The Oval in London on June 11

By: Karan Nanda |
June 11, 2017 12:40 pm

Team India all set to play against South Africa in a must-win Group B game of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 at The Oval in London on June 11. Ahead of their clash, former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly has advised skipper Virat Kohli to include Ravichandran Ashwin in the squad and drop all-rounder Hardin Pandya for this match. Sourav Ganguly has urged Virat Kohli to play with five specialist bowlers to tackle the South African powerful batting lineup.

India, after registering a thumping victory by 124 runs over arch-rivals Pakistan on June 4 at Edgbatson Cricket Stadium, suffered a seven-wicket defeat against young Sri Lankan side in their last group match on June 8. While South Afticans lost to Pakistan via the Duckworth-Lewis method in their last game. Group B is now open for every team, whichever team wins from here now they will make it into the semi-finals.

__Get into the mood for the huge match today by watching a classic clash between India and South Africa from 2000! #INDvSA #CT17 pic.twitter.com/6IZ1cz8x8a

— ICC (@ICC) June 11, 2017

“I think Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja should play. Drop Hardik Pandya, bring back Ashwin. India should play five bowlers against South Africa,” Ganguly told India Today.

Further praising Virat Kohli as a skipper, Ganguly said: “Virat Kohli is a terrific player, one of the best in this format. He is a world-class one-day batsman.”

For a high-voltage clash, Gangulay advised Virat Kohli to ‘play sensibly, it’s about absorbing pressure.’

Earlier on the eve of match, Virat Kohli said hat star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin could be back in the team against South Africa in the must win Group B clash against South Africa.

“As I told you people there are a number of possibilities. We have already looked at the last match. Anything is possible. Any combination is possible. I am not in a position to reveal anything more at this stage,” Kohli said at the pre-match press conference.

__ Hear from the Indian skipper @imVkohli ahead of his sides crunch match against South Africa! __ #INDvSA #CT17 pic.twitter.com/F7Gg08x6dJ

— ICC (@ICC) June 11, 2017

The match between the No 1 and No 2 side will start at 15.00 IST and the toss will be held at 14.30 IST.

Squad:

India: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Dinesh Karthik, Ajinkya Rahane.

India shaping up well as they go into their must win match against South Africa! _ @GatoradeIndia #SweatMore #INDvSA #CT17 pic.twitter.com/R6TcIGbOf1

— ICC (@ICC) June 11, 2017

South Africa: AB de Villiers (captain), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), David Miller, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Keshav Maharaj, Farhan Behardien, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwayne Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada.