Opinion: India's Problem of plenty and the selection Conundrum before the ODI World Cup
Who is India’s 4, 5, 6, 7 at the World Cup? Is it Dhoni, Jadhav, DK, Pandya or is it Rayudu, Dhoni, Jadhav, Pandya? Is Pandya India’s 5th bowler? Can he do it by himself without Jadhav to back him up? Or will India go for the impressive Mohammed Shami as India’s 3rd seamer? The Indian Team Management is in a lot of dilemmas at the moment.
The Indian team has exactly nine ODI matches left before the ODI World Cup begins. By all means, they are one among the favorites to lift the trophy. India has all its bases covered. Batting has historically been its fort and it has continued to hold the fort. The spinners are in a league of their own while the pacers for a change are making the world sit up and take notice. And India, with all its riches across departments, is now presented with a unique problem. For once, India is not looking for people who can fill positions like in the past, it is trying to pick the best out of its options.
Historically, Indian teams have struggled to find an all-rounder, this team has two pace bowling all-rounder and at least one spin bowling all-rounder in its probable list. Similarly, for a nation that struggled to have quality pace bowling options, this team has 4-5 options to pick from. The fact that India has a pace bowler of the quality of Mohammed Shami who will in all probability be benched during the WC speaks volumes about the quality in this side. However, this issue of plenty is the very problem that the Indian team is finding it difficult to grapple. In various combinations, India could still be a very strong team. As such, how do India arrive at its best starting 11 for the world cup?
Nine matches before the cricketing world’s showpiece tournament and we are certain about 8/11 players in the starting team. With all likelihood, Virat Kohli will captain the Indian team at the World Cup. Rohit Sharma, his able deputy will open the innings along with Shikar Dhawan. The bowling will be spearheaded by the poster boy of Indian fast bowling, Jasprit Bumrah, and the team will trust his ever-reliable partnership with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. After a whole lot of experiments since the Asia cup, it should be fair to assume that Chahal and Kuldeep would play together. And to cap it all off, by virtue of a couple of glimpses of form, ever reliable presence behind the stumps and the calm head over his shoulders it will be MS Dhoni behind the stumps.
The question that lingers though is about who fills in the remaining three spots. Let’s take a look at the scenarios that have presented itself in recent times:
1. Virat Kohli and his preference for an allrounder (read Hardik Pandya):
Virat Kohli has been clear and vocal about his preference for the fast bowling all-rounder. India has tried out Vijay Shankar in the role and though he doesn’t appear to have done much wrong, it is a given that India will go for Hardik Pandya, provided he remains available (which by all probability is more than likely).
Over the past two years, we have seen Hardik Pandya not being as reliable a bowler in the ODI format and he almost never completes the full quota of 10 overs. Neither has he demonstrated exceptional ability with the bat to command his position on the side purely as a batsman. This creates the need for the presence of another player who can cover up a few overs. Jadeja, Vijay Shankar, and Kedhar Jadhav are the only options available. As such, it is likely that Jadhav with his superior ability with the bat and recent success in his stints as a finisher will make the cut.
2. Dinesh Karthik, the finisher:
Since the past couple of years, a certain Dinesh Karthik 2.0 has arrived in the scenario and he never seems to do anything wrong. And post that heroic finish at the Nidahas trophy and subsequent performances, he has been appointed as India’s newfound finisher. It is true that India considers Kedhar Jadhav to be a finisher as well. However, it is MSD that India is trying to either supplement or replace as a finisher (with the possibility of MSD batting up the order) as such ideally DK should be in the playing 11.
If DK is in the playing 11, there is no place in it for a certain Ambati Rayudu who had a terrific IPL and a successful Asia Cup. He, however, looks a bit rusty at the moment and would do well to put in a good performance to hold on to his place.
So, if Karthik and Jadhav play, Dhoni bats at number 4 followed by the two of them, and then Hardik Pandya and the bowlers complete the lineup. To be frank, at the moment this looks India’s best line up.
3. The third seamer:
Mohammed Shami has been sensational in ODIs since the series against the Aussies. He was India’s strike bowler in the 2015 World Cup and post that he was out of action for over a year. He seems to have hit the peak at just the right time. If India believes that the top three followed by MSD is in good form, India does not need half and half player in Hardik Pandya in the mix. India can and should go for the 3rd seamer in Shami thereby having 50 overs of relentless accuracy and great quality being hurled at the opposition.
Shami’s success though has come as a strike bowler in the absence of Bumrah. It remains to be seen if he can come in and deliver as the 3rd seamer. If Shami is in the team, India doesn’t need to look elsewhere for backup in overs. That implies India can choose to play Ambati Rayudu instead of Kedhar Jadhav if the team management believes Rayudu is a more stable and reliable batting option.
4. What does Kohli expect off Dhoni?
When MSD bats at No.4 as a proper middle order batsman than a finisher, pundits opine that there is a sense of completeness to the Indian batting line up. At the moment, considering his recent performances, it is evident that Dhoni needs time to settle in and the No.4 position seems to be offering him just that. Also considering the options India has at the moment, he seems best suited for the role. But even after the success he had at the position, Virat Kohli made it known that he wants the former Indian captain to bat at No.5. His deputy though states, that if it was up to him, he would bat him at number No.4.
So what exactly does the Indian team want from Dhoni? Other than for being an unofficial captain and his peerless glove work, what does India hope for MSD to do in the batting order? When will we have this clarity?
If India can figure out these four scenarios, they should be able to zero down on their starting 11. For all the eccentricity and unpredictability around the Indian team selection, one would hope that India figures out its best 11 at least by the start of the Australia series and it can give themselves a consistent go. It would do the players a world of good in terms of confidence before the big tournament arrives.