"Bharat deserves to be given at least one more match" - Aakash Chopra says Srikar Bharat shouldn't be replaced by Dhruv Jurel for 3rd IND vs ENG Test

Aakash Chopra reckons India should persist with Srikar Bharat as their wicketkeeper for at least the third Test against England.

The third game of the five-match series will be played in Rajkot from Thursday, February 15. Certain reports suggest that Bharat, who has aggregated 221 runs at an average of 20.09 in seven Tests, will make way for Dhruv Jurel in the Indian playing XI.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that it would be premature to replace Bharat with Jurel.

"It's been heard that Dhruv Jurel will be handed his debut cap. I am thinking whether it's right or wrong. Only two Tests have happened. I want him (Bharat) to keep in all five, but if you still need batting that much, Bharat deserves to be given at least one more match," he said (5:00).

The former India opener noted that Bharat has fared well behind the wickets, which is his primary job.

"I would say Srikar Bharat should firstly be judged on his keeping and I feel he is keeping decently. The pitches are difficult and that's why you weren't getting KL Rahul to keep. You said you wanted a specialist keeper. So he is doing his job fully as a specialist keeper," Chopra stated.

Chopra added that he would be slightly disappointed if the Indian team were to lose confidence in the Andhra wicketkeeper-batter so quickly. He observed that there has been a lack of continuity since Rishabh Pant got injured and urged the Indian team management to stick with Bharat for the moment.

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"He also batted decently in both innings in Hyderabad" - Aakash Chopra on Srikar Bharat

Srikar Bharat scored 69 runs across his two innings in the Hyderabad Test. [P/C: BCCI]

Aakash Chopra pointed out that Srikar Bharat fared decently with the bat in the first Test.

"He also batted decently in both innings in Hyderabad. If he had played a little longer in the second innings, India might have even won the match. So I will be a little disappointed (if he is dropped)," he said.

The reputed commentator added that the presence of spin-bowling all-rounders allows India to play Bharat as a specialist keeper.

"I feel KS Bharat should play because you are playing a keeper as a keeper. Your three spinners are already batters, if Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) plays, or else two are proper batters. Axar (Patel) does proper batting and (Ravichandran) Ashwin also does proper batting," Chopra explained.

Chopra observed that India aren't even expecting runs from Bharat as they are batting him down the order. He added that the 30-year-old scored an unbeaten century recently for India A against the England Lions and has come into the national reckoning only after scoring runs in first-class cricket.