'Would prefer him over Pujara or Rahane' - Farokh Engineer wants Suryakumar Yadav to play third Test at Headingley

India will enter the third Test match with a 1-0 lead in the series against England. At Lord’s, the fast bowling unit of India fashioned the historic victory for the team. It is quite obvious that more often than not, no changes are made in the squad after a victory as teams walk in with the same winning combination. However, former wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer feels that the Indian team can make one tweak in their line-up for the next Test.

Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have been brought under the scanner lately after their strings of low scores. However, the duo stood firm for the team in the second Test, stitching a partnership of 100 runs. Farokh Engineer pointed out that Suryakumar Yadav can be included in the XI by replacing either of the two. He highlighted the qualities of the batter as he termed Yadav as a match-winner who will be a valuable addition to the team.

“Firstly, I am a huge fan of Suryakumar Yadav. I think he is a class player. I would certainly prefer him to Pujara or Rahane. They are class players, very good players, but Suryakumar Yadav is a match-winner. With Shreyas Iyer out of the team with injury, I think Suryakumar should certainly be in the team. He is an aggressive player; he will get you a quick hundred, a quick 70-80. He is a fabulous batsman, fabulous fielder, and a wonderful human being as well,” Engineer told Sports Tak in an interview.

Suryakumar Yadav is the trump card in the team: Farokh Engineer

Suryakumar and Prithvi Shaw were roped in after the Indian team had to deal with a couple of injuries. About Yadav, he has had a splendid start to his international career and has displayed his flair to the world. Engineer thus predicted that the surface at Headingly will be batting friendly and it can be a great opportunity for Yadav to make his debut in red-ball cricket.

“People are usually reluctant to change a winning combination but like they say ‘horses for courses’. It depends on the wicket in Headingley. I don’t see it being too different. The Headingley pitch will be a good Test wicket. It’s considered to be one of the finest batting pitches in the world. So, I would like to see the inclusion of Suryakumar Yadav. He is the trump card in the team,” Engineer added.