BCCI MEET TODAY TO PICK INDIA’S WC SQUAD
EXTRA KEEPER, ALL-ROUNDER LIKELY TO BE SUBJECTS OF DISCUSSION
NEW DELHI: No big surprise is likely when BCCI’S senior selection committee convenes on Monday to pick India’s 15-member squad for the World Cup that begins May 30 in the United Kingdom. Eleven players select themselves due to their experience and performance —Vi rat k oh li( captain ), msd ho ni (wicket-keeper), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Kedar Jadhav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuv ne sh war kumar. six players — KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Vijay Shankar and Ambati Rayudu — are in contention for the remaining four spots.
Convention suggests back-up opener is a must at a World Cup. KL Rahul — who had mediocre outings when tested in the middle order — is the best batsman to come in should the opening combination fail. Statistics however back Dhawan and Sharma — with averages of 65.06 and 57.25 in England — to do well.
With 363 runs, Dhawan was India’s top-scorer during the 2013 Champions Trophy win in England. Two years ago, he aggregated 338 while Sharma totalled 304 in five matches even though India lost to Pakistan in the final. “The opening combination should not be tweaked. Other than the two, Rahul is another batsman who can open,” former India captain Sourav Ganguly was recently quoted as saying.
On Kohli, Dhoni, Dhawan, Sharma and Jadhav rest India’s batting responsibility. Jadhav has emerged a dependable middle-order batsman who can also be trusted to squeeze in a few overs of off-spin. An integral part of the team since his Man-of-theseries performance of 232 runs in the three-match ODI series against England in 2017 that India lost 1-2, Jadhav’s batting average hasn’t dipped below 40 in more than two years now.
RAYUDU’S LEAN PATCH
There has been murmur on who should bat at No 4, mainly due to Ambati Rayudu’s lean patch — he scored one fifty in 10 outings since his century against West Indies in Mumbai last October — and a tussle between Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant for the second wicket-keeper. “I will have Rayudu at No 4 and Pant ahead of Karthik. There is absolutely no debate about that. As a wicketkeeper, Pant has improved immensely,” said former wicketkeeper and national selector Kiran More. Former all-rounder and 1983 World Cup winner Madan Lal too said Pant’s selection is a no-brainer. “Pant has kept well in Australia. He is a match-winner and must go,” he said.
Bumrah, Shami and Pandya are expected to do the bulk of the bowling though Kumar’s role will
be equally significant considering the overhead conditions expected during the English summer. “It’s imperative Hardik bowls his entire quota of overs,” said Lal. “Bumrah and Shami are top of the line right now. Bhuvneshwar, however, has to step up a bit. India needs him more.”
ICC rules require pitches for events like World Cup to be standardised at all venues but Lal said weather will be a factor. “You can’t standardise the conditions. It could be cloudy one day; there could be some dampness so you never know. Length will be very important there since you have to bowl in a certain corridor when that happens,” he said.
Wrist spinners Kuldeep and Chahal are Kohli’s bowling aces for this World Cup. Though they didn’t have a great tour of England last year, the left-right combination is expected to keep a few batsmen on edge with their variations. It remains to be seen if the management backs Ravindra Jadeja. A prized fielder, Jadeja can spin the ball away from righthanders and — as illustrated in Chennai Super Kings’ recent win in Jaipur — adds depth to India’s batting. “Apart from Hardik, Jadeja is the only complete allrounder in this squad. We should never leave him out,” said Lal.
Vijay Shankar’s recent exploits in the India-australia series however could tempt selectors to pick him as a back-up all-rounder as Pandya has only recently recovered from a back niggle. Ganguly has favoured Shankar ahead of Jadeja but Lal thinks he is a work in progress. “You can’t call him an allrounder just yet. He still has to work on his bowling,” he said.