World Cup 2019: Sachin Tendulkar wants Jadeja and Shami to play the semis against New Zealand

India must be brimming with confidence after the league stage of the 2019 World Cup. The Men in Blue finished on top of the points table with 15 points from nine matches. Virat Kohli and Co are now set to play the first semi-final against New Zealand on July 9 at the Old Trafford in Manchester. The two teams were scheduled to play in the league stage as well, but their match in Nottingham was washed off.

The Black Caps, on the contrary, are on a three-match losing streak and need to bring out their A-game in order to defeat India. In the meantime, Sachin Tendulkar, the former Indian cricketer, said that Ravindra Jadeja is one option India can opt for in the semis. The Master Blaster reckons that Kohli’s men are playing with five bowlers and Jadeja’s inclusion can provide them with the extra bowling option.

“Jadeja is one option I would like to throw on the table to team management. I feel if Dinesh Karthik is going to bat at No. 7 then possible Jadeja could be an option there because his left-arm spin can come in handy. In a big match you would want a cover-up because we are playing just 5 bowlers,” Sachin was quoted as saying in India Today.

Sachin backs Mohammed Shami

Sachin also wants India to bring back Mohammed Shami into the eleven. The Bengal speedster has 14 wickets from four games in the tournament but was rested in the game against Sri Lanka in Leeds. Sachin backed his pick, saying that the bowler did well in the league match versus the Windies at the same venue. Shami ended with figures of 4/16 in that encounter.

“I would also be tempted to bring back Mohammed Shami because against West Indies he was good at the same venue. When we talk about Old Trafford there are pleasant experiences for Shami, he came back into the team and picked up wickets. So I would be tempted to have him back,” he added.

Ahead of their all-important clash, Kohli and the Indian team management has a few selection headaches. One of them is picking Shami and also Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who hasn’t looked in the greatest of forms, having leaked quite a few runs.