I would go with Arshdeep over Harshit Rana, says Ricky Ponting

Australian great Ricky Ponting will pick Arshdeep Singh over Harshit Rana for India's Champions Trophy run with the Rohit Sharma-led side hoping to fill the huge void left by injured pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.

Ponting feels Arshdeep’s skills in the death overs are better than Harshit Rana, as he has got more experience than the rookie pacer. India play Bangladesh in their tournament opener on February 20.

Bumrah was ruled out of the Champions Trophy with a back injury earlier this month.

After striking a rich vein in T20Is for the past two years, Arshdeep is looking to make a mark in the ODIs. And Champions Trophy is his moment of reckoning.

“We know how good he's (Arshdeep) been in T20 cricket and if you think about the skill set, he probably provides a similar skill set to what Bumrah does with new ball and death overs and that's what India will miss,” said the former Australian captain.

“That's taking nothing away from Harshit Rana because I think he has got a lot of talent and we know what he can do with the new ball, but I don't think his death skills are as good as what Arshdeep Singh’s are.

“And just that left-arm variation, someone that can bowl left-arm with a new ball and move the new ball. We know how important they are and crucial they can be, especially in big tournaments when you've got a lot of right-handers at the top. I would personally lean that way if I was India,” said Ponting.

He said India's recent series win in the ODIs over England give them a momentum to begin the Champions Trophy on a positive note.

“I mean, winning's a habit and to have that behind you, you can take some positives out of that,” Ponting added.