5 players who could have been selected for the Test match against Bangladesh
Given India’s choc-o-bloc schedule ahead which includes a Test series against Sri Lanka and South Africa, it is difficult to wrap your head around the decision to field a full strength squad for just one Test match against Bangladesh. Instead, this could have been used as an ideal opportunity to breed some players who have been consistent in the domestic scene for a while now. Here’s a list of five players who have been doing exceedingly well in the Ranji trophy for the past two seasons and deserved a chance.
Robin Uthappa
The highest run getter in the last Ranji trophy season, Robin Uthappa played an instrumental role in a Karnataka squad that steamrolled every opposition in the Ranji trophy enroute to winning the title this year. Here’s a breakdown of his numbers from the last two seasons which clearly shows that he merits a place in the side:
|
Ranji Trophy Season |
No. of Matches |
Runs Scored |
Average |
Highest Score |
No. of centuries |
No. of half-centuries |
|
2013-2014 |
5 |
374 |
46.75 |
100 |
1 |
2 |
|
2014-2015 |
11 |
912 |
50.66 |
156 |
2 |
5 |
Having amassed 1286 runs from the 16 matches played over the last two seasons of Ranji Trophy, Robin Uthappa should have been on that flight to Bangladesh.
Hanuma Vihari
Another young batsman who broke into the list of top 10-run scorers of the Ranji trophy this year, Hanuma Vihari scored his second first-class double hundred this year and has been a key member of the Hyderabad side. Here’s a breakdown of his numbers from the last two seasons:
|
Ranji Trophy Season |
No. of matches |
Runs Scored |
Average |
Highest Score |
No. of Centuries |
No. of half-centuries |
|
2013-2014 |
8 |
841 |
93.44 |
201 |
3 |
4 |
|
2014-2015 |
8 |
780 |
86.66 |
263 |
3 |
2 |
1621 runs from two seasons with a highest score of 263, the selectors could have given this youngster a hit in the Test match against Bangladesh ahead of an experienced campaigner.