Team India glovesman KS Bharat has been under the scanners following his underwhelming show with the bat in the first two Tests against England. Bharat was picked as a specialist wicketkeeper but he failed to impress with the bat in crunch situations, meanwhile, his wicketkeeping was also under-par on a few occasions.
Former Indian batter, Sanjay Manjrekar has raised questions about Bharat’s place in India’s XI as first-choice wicketkeeper and believes that it is time for India to move on from him.
“It’s not like he’s playing his first series. He’s played before, he played all four Test matches against Australia and Rishabh Pant is due to come any time soon. So, I am not sure whether it is worthwhile and makes sense to keep investing in K.S. Bharat,” Manjrekar told ESPNCricinfo.
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Apart from KS Bharat, India also picked Dhruv Jurel as the wicketkeeping option in the first two matches but the team management went ahead with the experienced star.
Manjrekar however, believes that the Indian team is better off looking for other options instead of Bharat. In the seven Tests he has played so far, the Andhra batter scored 221 runs averaging at 20.09 and a highest score of just 44.
Manjrekar added, “He’s also not 20-year-old and India had moved on from KS Bharat and gone to Ishan Kishan. So he’s done just enough to maybe just keep his place in the side. This team management believes in being fair to every individual, but I would personally look at another option before Rishabh Pant comes in and takes his place.”
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With Rishabh Pant still recovering from injuries he suffered in the horrific card accident, Manjrekar believes that the Indian team have to re-evaluate whether the keeping skills of Bharat are so good that it warrants his selection into the side.
“India will start looking at K.S Bharat whether his keeping is that good. We can afford to have somebody who is not contributing as much with the bat. India of late and the world over, if you see, is going for keepers who are decently good wicket-keepers but contribute with the bat. I mean look at Rishabh Pant in the last 3-4 years, his contribution with the bat. So, those are things that India will have to look at,” Manjrekar concluded.
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