India could probably get all-out for 150 in Virat Kohli's absence: Monty Panesar’s Exclusive Interview

The ongoing Test series between the two cricketing giants, India and Australia being played Down Under has been the talk of the town for a number of reasons. There have been a lot of interesting developments that have made things interesting to both watch and follow for both the cricket fans and the pundits. And to discuss some of these things, the now-retired veteran England spinner, Monty Panesar gave an interview to CricTracker.

Here are the excerpts:

What impact do you think will Virat Kohli’s departure have on the Indian team?

The difference in the first Test for India was Virat Kohli’s innings. And, once Virat goes, who will be the batsman that will occupy the crease for longer durations and score the runs. If you take his innings out of the equation, you are probably looking at 150 all out. That could happen to India in the remaining Tests, once Virat leaves.

Who should replace Virat in the Indian team once he is gone? Should it be KL Rahul or Shubman Gill?

Shubman Gill is a young talented batsman and I think he should be given a go because you are only going to know whether players like him have the right temperament for Test cricket only when they play in the team.

Do you think Rishabh Pant can be included in the Indian team as a pure batsman?

Rishabh Pant has a tendency to get under the skins of the Australian players and they tend to have a go at him. And, he is also capable with the bat so he can definitely go in the batting line-up at number 6.

What was your experience of playing with the pink ball, if you have gotten a chance? What should a spinner do to be successful while bowling with this ball?

In my experience, I have always found the pink ball does tend to bounce a bit more, skids a bit more than you think. And, it did not surprise me that Ashwin did well with the pink ball as he, you know kind of thrives on the bounce in Australia. When you ball the red ball slightly fuller it does not bounce the way the pink ball does, so it kind of suits Ashwin possibly more than Nathan Lyon. Being a bit more aggressive in their action can help the bowlers get the ball to skid on the surface and surprise the batsmen.

Who would you like to see in the Indian team going further into the series? Among the pacers will it be Umesh Yadav or Navdeep Saini?

I like to see Navdeep Saini bowl. He seems like a good bowler. I would like to see him come and show his credentials as well. Remember in the past the tour to Australia made Irfan Pathan the left arm steamer. Australia is a place where as a youngster if you have one successful innings because the conditions are so different from India, it actually makes your career. Your performance there makes or breaks your career and it is the right opportunity to draft in a few youngsters in the team.

I think this is an opportunity to draft in a few youngsters because they have a Test series coming up with England and other such matches coming up. It is a good time to see in the next 3 Test matches, once Virat Kohli departs to see who is the future of Indian batting. Will it be Shubman Gill taking Kohli’s place once he retires (or not). Sunil Gavaskar loves him and everyone raves about him and this is a perfect time to draft in the youngsters and say right, the next tour of Australia is going to be in a couple of years’ time. Let’s get the youngsters, let’s see how their temperament is like, let’s see how they can handle the pressure and if it’s a big tick, you invest more in that player, and it is a perfect time to do that.

What do you think of Ajinkya Rahane as the captain of the Indian Test team?

Look, I think Ajinkya Rahane has a really cool calm head. He is the one who will look to other players asking whether you are happy with the field. he is happy to discuss if he is not sure of his own options, he is happy to talk to the experienced seam bowlers and the young batters. he is a complete contrast to Virat. He will be asking the players are you comfortable, are you understanding your game plan, do you need any help. While Virat’s more about this is what we want, this is what we need. He is sort of an in your face kind of captain. He has a clear direction and this is what is great about Virat Kohli. At least you know which direction you are going he will tell you this is what I want and let’s get on with it, it’s clarity. And that could be one of Ajinkya Rahane’s challenges.

There could be a time where he may have to be creative he may have to give clear directions to the team during the Test matches and he may get stuck, he may be thinking I am really unsure let me speak to some of the other players. They could be unsure the senior players may be unsure, and that is when he might say as a captain, right, I’ve gotta go with my gut feeling. This is how we are gonna do it. And, that’s the bit which could be a concerning factor where you know there could be a key session you may have to get back into the game and Ajinkya Rahane may not know how to do that in Australian conditions. That could be the decisive factor when it comes to captaincy.

What are your predictions for this series?

If Virat Kohli was there throughout the series I would have said India should win the series. But, 1 off 29 balls from Steve Smith, (makes him) one of the top ones to have the lowest strike rates in Australia. So, concerning factors are gonna be Steve Smith’s form, David Warner when he comes in. It will be a much more even contest once Virat is gone. And, look if India can bowl the way they have and dismiss the Australian batsmen cheaply, they can knock over Australia. It wouldn’t surprise me if India wins the series and they would win it with their bowling department.

Here’s also a short video clip of him sharing his views on Ajinkya Rahane taking over as the captain of the side: