Just about a month ago, a series that would not have registered in the minds of Indian fans, has suddenly gained prominence. Ever since the series win in Bangladesh, interest in the series against India has grown manifold. India will resume red-ball cricket after a gap of 6 months except for the WTC finals. Not to mention a rare month off. Onething is for sure, India cannot take the new and confident Bangladesh lightly. The extent to which the Indian team is taking this series in all seriousness can be gauged from the fact they have invited a 6.5 tall bowler from Punjab to practice for the Bangladesh’s quick who is of similar height. The main decision will be the Indian batting attack.
The top 4 batsmen select themselves. There isn’t any change expected unless injury forces a change. Rohit Sharma and Jaiswal will open the innings. They will expect to continue from where they left of against England about 6 months ago. Gill will follow at number 3 with Kohli slotted at number 4.
Number 5 conundrum
The next position boils down between 2 batsmen, one of whom can get going immediately and the other who takes his own time to set himself before moving on with the game. Sarfaraz Khan had a good debut series against England in the absence of Rahul. He has got everyone excited with his strokeplay. There is a school of thought that Sarfaraz must supersede Rahul and will have to take the spot at number 5.
On the otherhand, Rahul, is bit of an enigma. Despite being in the team for more than 10 years, he just couldn’t nail a place for himself. The format does not matter. He has opened the innings and he has batted in the middle-order but for some reason, he just could not show the consistency that is required for a player of his experience. Considering the fact that both Pujara and Rahane are not likely to be on that plane to Australia, India needs someone with experience not only in Australia but also at the international level, would it make sense to have Rahul in the middle so that he gets enough game time? Or would it be better to go to Australia with a batsman who will not be afraid to bat aggressively against the Aussie bowlers who does not like that?
Sarfaraz maybe?
That is for the team management to decide. Personally, I will have Sarfaraz for the Tests against Bangladesh. With a further 3 Tests against New Zealand, Rahul or someone else could be given an opportunity. There is no doubt about who the keeper will be. It is Rishab Pant. We need him in Australia and he must be given as much time as possible in red-ball cricket. It means that he will have to play in all the 5 Tests. He may not have played red-ball cricket for 2 years but has been involved in international cricket for awhile. He needs game time desperately.
The Indian bowling attack
This is one aspect that must be watched. Will India want 3 spinners and 2 fast bowlers or 4 spinners and 1 fast bowler or will they look for a combination that is completely unexpected? The pitches at Chennai and at Kanpur, do not favour the faster bowlers. Chepauk used to have a bit of bounce all those years ago but not so much anymore. Added to that, red-soil has been chosen for the pitch. It will aid bounce but the burning temperature in Chennai will ensure that the bounce will not last that long. It may not even last for more than a day. Hence, I think that India will go into the game with 3 spinners. This has been the mode of attack for the last several seasons. There is no evidence to the contrary to change the combination.
The main point of contention will be who will be the 3rd spinner. Ashwin walks into the side without any problem. Kuldeep Yadav’s whose reputation grew during the England series, will be the next spinner in the ranks. His left-arm means a different angle with a googly to boot. Rohit Sharma identified Kuldeep as being one of the main difference between the sides during the England series. With Australia looming where wrist-spinners will get more purchase than the finger spinners, Lyon is an exception, Kuldeep will need as much exposure to Test cricket as possible.
The left-arm spinner
The final spinner position is a toss up between Jadeja and Axar. It is amazing to even say that. Jadeja not till long ago, was a mainstay in the team but the development of Axar Patel, has put him under a little bit of pressure. In terms of bowling, there isn’t any difference between them but when it comes to batting, that is where Axar seems to have stolen a march. Jadeja for some reason puts himself under tremendous pressure. He is intent at staying at the wicket but does not show any urgency to score. This is where Axar scores over Jadeja. Axar is a free-flowing batsman and has already played quite a few cameos. Jadeja has proved himself with decent batting outside of India whereas Axar bides his time. What will Gambhir and Rohit Sharma decide?
As for the medium pacers, it will be Bumrah and Siraj who will start with. I expect Akash Deep and a couple of other bowlers will be given a chance during the next 5 Tests to prepare them for Australia where the fast bowlers will have to do all the running.
Wrapping up the Indian bowling attack
Bangladesh will look to give a good account of themselves so that they can get more games in India. As for India, they will have to be at their best.
Other blogs
https://icricketcritique.com/india-deserve-to-lose-the-series/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-wisdom-of-indian-selectors/
https://icricketcritique.com/indian-openers-for-world-t20/
https://icricketcritique.com/indian-team-for-world-t20/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-world-cup-win/