Parthiv Patel reveals India’s strongest playing XI for the first Test vs South Africa

Former Indian keeper-batter Parthiv Patel has revealed India’s strongest playing XI for the first Test against South Africa, which is scheduled to start on Friday, November 14, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

While the majority of the XI remains the same from the recently concluded West Indies Test series at home, Parthiv Patel feels either Nitish Kumar Reddy or Dhruv Jurel will make it to the final XI. Notably, Jurel is coming into this series on the back of two centuries in the second unofficial Test against South Africa A.

"Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul will open. Sai Sudharsan will be at No. 3, Shubman Gill at No. 4, and then you will see Rishabh Pant playing at No. 5. The No. 6 position is slightly tricky. Otherwise, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah," Parthiv said on Star Sports.

"There will be only one question for India, and that will be at No. 6, whether you want to play Nitish Reddy or Dhruv Jurel. It will be an early start in Kolkata. So can Nitish Reddy play the role of the third seamer? Then you can use Nitish Reddy with two seamers, and three spinners will come in the second innings," he added. 

In Pant's absence during the West Indies home series, Jurel scored an exceptional 125-run knock in the first Test in Ahmedabad. Later in the second Test, he scored a 44-run knock in the second Test in Delhi.

"Whether it was against the West Indies or wherever and whichever position Jurel has gotten to bat in, he has scored runs. The only thing is the combination you want to play with. If your combination is that you want to play an all-rounder, then he might not get a place," he stated.

"However, if you want to play a pure batter, Dhruv Jurel can play there, and this management has already shown that kind of confidence in Dhruv Jurel once. He played as a batter in Perth. Although India won that Test match, he didn't get a chance after that. I feel Dhruv Jurel has done enough to be considered as a batter in the Test team," he concluded. 

Parthiv Patel's Indian playing XI for the first Test vs South Africa: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy/Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.

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