Rahul set to return for Test series in Sri Lanka
IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THE SELECTORS HAVE IN STORE WHEN THEY PICK THE SQUAD FOR THE THREE-TEST SERIES
NEW DELHI: The national cricket selectors enjoy sending a message to the team management from time to time. The last time, while announcing a second-string squad for Zimbabwe, chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil stressed that the choice of Ajinkya Rahane as skipper was to test his leadership as well. It appeared a subtle message to MS Dhoni, who had dropped him for the last two ODIs in Bangladesh saying Rahane struggled to get going quickly while batting down the order on slow pitches.
It will be interesting to see what the selectors have in store when they pick the squad for the three-Test series in Sri Lanka starting on August 12. Young Karnataka batsman, KL Rahul, who scored a splendid century in the Sydney Test, his second, is expected to return after missing the one-off Test in Bangladesh because of dengue.
TIMELY KNOCK The 23- year- old Kar nataka opener proved his form and fitness on his comeback, scoring 96 on Day One of the India A ‘Test’ against Australia A in Chennai on Wednesday. The focus will be on the top-order batting as well as spin, which will play a big part on slow Sri Lanka pitches. India have not played a Test series in Sri Lanka since 2010. Virat Kohli will lead in his first full series since taking over as Test skipper from MS Dhoni in Australia. He had kept Cheteshwar Pujara out of the 11 in Bangladesh.
Shikhar Dhawan was dropped and Rahul asked to open in the Sydney Test, where the youngster made a mark. Dhawan though scored a big century in Bangladesh. It all makes selection interesting as Patil and Co, without a role as selector on tour, usually indicate the make-up of the 11 with their choices.
The other focus will be the spin department. The selectors don’t have much variety to pick support bowlers for R Ashwin. Harbhajan Singh took three wickets in his Test comeback in Bangladesh but was not the bowler of old and Sri Lanka will be a big Test for India’s second most successful spinner. Whether the selectors retain young leg-spinner Karn Sharma or bring in Amit Mishra, whose last Test was in 2011, remains to be seen.
Varun Aaron missed the India A fixture due to fever but is expected to be in the Test squad.