The Indian team for the two tests series against Sri Lanka has been announced. As expected, there are some changes which were inevitable. However, the good news, the one that every Indian fan have been wanting to hear, is finally realised. Pujara and Rahane are dropped from the team. Finally. It is inevitable. On the whole, I feel good job by Indian selectors.
Vihari is likely to takeover
Most of the team members have selected themselves. The major talking point of the selection was the omission of Pujara, Rahane and to a lesser extent, Saha & Ishant. Now, I don’t think either Pujara or Rahane must consider themselves unlucky for being omitted. They had it coming. They had not been performing for a long time. In the case of Rahane, it extends to more than 5 years with occasional gusts of wind. In the case of Pujara, though he had some invaluable contributions, most notably in Australia where he helped India win the series, the fact that he wasn’t looking to score runs but rather is comfortable in occupying the crease must have gone against him.
Especially, considering the fact that the series against Sri Lanka will be held in India and this is the right time to promote someone to the crucial number 3 spot. It will most likely be Vihari. In the short career so far, he has shown Pujara like qualities to stay in the crease. It remains to be seen whether he will be as intent as Pujara in occupying the crease or will he also be aggressive enough to score runs. The series against Sri Lanka offers him an opportunity in which he will have to make that position his own atleast until the team starts to tour abroad.
Shreyas Iyer gets one more opportunity to consolidate
Shreyas Iyer will slot into the spot Rahane had occupied. After his impressive debut against New Zealand, Shreyas gets one more opportunity against relative lightweights to consolidate his position. He will not an easier start to his test series. In a way, it must have been a blessing for him not to have played a part in the test series in South Africa. If he had failed, it would have dented his confidence.
What about Ishant Sharma?
For quite sometime now, it is known that Ishant Sharma is in his last legs. Whether are not his bowling has deteriorated is not the point. It is just that there are now far better bowlers to choose from. Ishant had played long enough but has never been the strike bowler. Bumrah who made his debut a few years after Ishant, is now not only the strike bowler but has also been made the vice-captain, though, presumably in the absence of Rahul.
The other talking point was the axing of Saha, I will write that in a separate blog. It was really unfortunate but time and age was not on his side.
Rohit Sharma, the captain
Rohit has come a long way. From someone who was not even considered a good batsman at the test level, to now becoming the captain of the team, that is one huge turnaround. He has proved his batting credentials in England and a bit in Australia too. His absence in South Africa was a major blow which events subsequently proved. Maybe, Kohli was never destined to win challenging series. However, since turning into an opener, Rohit has done enough to be considered not only the mainstay in the batting lineup but a vital wicket for the opposition.
With Kohli’s continued lack of runs and the inability of the middle order, it has time and again fallen on the shoulders of Rohit to bail the team. The only worry now is the fitness of Rohit. Now that he is destined to play all the formats and being the captain, his fitness will come into play quite often. If he can remain injury free for a large part, he has the potential to serve the team and the country for 2-3 years. It is long enough for someone like Pant or Gill or Bumrah to mature and takeover from Rohit. I certainly do not want to see Rahul lead the side. His is not good enough to hold a spot in the team consistently leave alone lead a side.
The thing that remains to be seen is whether Rohit will go in with 3 fast bowlers or 3 spinners. With Bumrah being the vice-captain, he is a given. Whether it will be Shami and Siraj or Shami and Kuldeep or Siraj and Kuldeep, that is something Rohit by now would have already made up his mind.
Bumrah the vice-captain
Bumrah cannot expect any more rest during games in India. Being the vice-captain, he is expected to lead from the front. Gone are the day when he will skip test cricket in India. Only point of worry is whether the additional responsibility will hamper his ability. Cummins is the only current bowler who is the captain of an international team. These are early days for him. Bumrah’s ability with the ball has diminished slightly. He was unable to bowl the team to victory in 2 tests in South Africa despite having a reasonable score to defend. That must rankle him. If the additional responsibility inspires him to achieve his full potential, well done BCCI.
Conclusion to good job by Indian selectors
Overall, I think the selectors have done a good job. For once. I was afraid that with passage of time, the abject batting of Rahane and Pujara during the South African series and beyond will be forgiven and forgotten and that they will be given few more opportunities to perform. I am pretty happy to see that not even a hundred from Rahane, just the day before in the Ranji Trophy was enough to save his spot. As for Pujara, he didn’t do himself a favour by getting out of Zero in the same Ranji game. If both Vihari and Shreyas succeeds, this will be curtains for the senior players.