How the Indian Test and T20I teams could line up if both played matches on the same day
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused all cricketing action to come to a complete halt all around the world. Avid cricket fans and players are hopeful of cricket resuming soon. Though a restart is on the cards, a reevaluation of safety norms will come into play.
The BCCI is considering fielding two different teams playing separate international matches on the same day to try and make up for the lost time.
"None of us know when sport, especially international cricket will resume. But if we have to safeguard all our stakeholders - from sponsors to spectators - one of the options is to select two different squads and play a Test series and a T20I series simultaneously," a BCCI official revealed.
This may sound outrageous, but these measures will have to be taken to financially recover from the pandemic, as well as to fulfil international commitments. Some will rejoice at the fact that they will be able to enjoy a classic Test match throughout the day, followed by some scintillating hitting under the floodlights.
On that note, let us look at the possible squads of the Indian cricket team if it fields two sides on the same day:
Test matches:
Playing XI: Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane(vc), Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha(wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami.
Bench: Shubman Gill, KS Bharat, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav.
Team Overview:
The Indian Test side has always been a formidable one, and will be tough to beat even in foreign conditions. The batting is dominant with the likes of Pujara and Virat Kohli, who are considered modern day greats.
Ajinkya Rahane is always a reliable batsman, while Hanuma Vihari will be expected to chip in a few overs with the ball too, aside from facing the second new ball. The responsibility of seeing off the new ball will lie with Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal, who will embrace the challenge of facing any bowling attack. Wriddhiman Saha will be the first-choice keeper, with his frequent displays of incredible glove-work behind the stumps.
The bowling line-up will be without Jasprit Bumrah, but his absence will not radically affect the team. Ishant Sharma is the new leader of the Indian pace attack. Mohammed Shami, with his new level of fitness and a daunting record in the second innings, will prove to be a challenge for oppositions batsmen to deal with.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be expected to get some early wickets with his lethal swing bowling, while the ever-persistent Ashwin will befuddle the batsmen with his numerous variations.
The bench is also quite strong, with Shubhman Gill to fill in for any batsman in case of an injury. On a dry pitch, Kuldeep Yadav may be preferred at the cost of a batsman or a pace bowler. Umesh Yadav can swing the ball a great deal in conditions that favour him, and may be preferred over Bhuvneshwar Kumar as he can hit the ball a long way too.
Finally, KS Bharat will be the backup wicket-keeper, in case Saha has a niggle or an injury. Bharat has previously been bought in to the squad as a back-up, and the selectors may decide to stick with him.
Overall, this team can be expected to win the series Down Under.
Team Rating: 8/10
T20I matches:
Playing XI: KL Rahul(wk), Rohit Sharma(c), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah.
Bench: Suryakumar Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar.
Team Overview:
The Indian team recently moved up to third place on the ICC T20I team rankings, and will be raring to prove their mettle yet again in the shortest format of the game.
KL Rahul has time and again made everyone take note of his tremendous stroke play, which is easy on the eyes in the IPL as well as in international cricket. His tremendous form has helped him break into the playing XI, replacing Dhawan in the process.
One of the stalwarts of Indian cricket, Rohit Sharma, will partner KL Rahul at the top of the order. His calming aura and 'cool' captaincy in the IPL, as well as in international cricket, is truly a treat to watch.
Shreyas Iyer has become a regular in the Indian team. He is a very good player of spin and never lets go of an opportunity to dispatch a ball right over the bowler's head. Rishabh Pant has been provided many chances in the team and some critics think that his time is up, but this flamboyant youngster has too much power to be overlooked.
Manish Pandey has been in and out of the team for quite a while now. But his amazing fielding, combined with his reliability in finishing games, makes him a valuable asset at that position.
Hardik Pandya, along with Ravindra Jadeja, make up the team's all-rounders. Both will provide fireworks towards the end of the innings, and will also chip in with the ball to take wickets at crucial junctures.
Navdeep Saini's pace, combined with Deepak Chahar's swing and Jasprit Bumrah's unreadable variations, will be sure to reduce any team's total by 10-15 runs. Yuzvendra Chahal's clever bowling will bamboozle the batsmen, and he will be expected to pick up wickets in the middle overs.
Suryakumar Yadav is a highly underrated versatile batsman who can play at any position he is offered. He can play spin bowling extremely well and may just break into the team if any player is going through a rough patch.
Shardul Thakur can bother the batsmen with his swing bowling in the power-play, as well as contribute with the bat. Shivam Dube has been picked as a replacement for Hardik Pandya, should any injury befall him. Washington Sundar bowls constricting lines, and is a utility player, as he can bowl in the power-play and hit the ball a long way.
Overall, this team looks quite strong even in the absence of Virat Kohli.
Team Rating: 8.5/10