Opinion: Weather conditions should not hinder India's ODI line-up for ICC World Cup 2019
Opinions expressed are strictly personal and do not reflect Sportskeeda's stand on the same.
Experts and analysts across the globe, would definitely tell us that the weather conditions somehow write the team combinations and rightly so. However, in the context of today's modern-day cricket, isn't the well-established and firmly-believed opinion behind the times to some extent?
How has cricket changed over the past few years?
Today's cricket is more about large-sized bats, small boundaries, strict field restrictions, flat pitches, and batting-friendly conditions.
While Test cricket, being the purest format of the game, has not gone through a drastic alteration, comparing how it was played in the yester-decades and how it is being played now, one would surely admit the fact that limited overs cricket has not remained the same nowadays.
While overcast conditions and green-topped pitches are still present to take a test of a batsman's hardship and struggle for survival in Test cricket, pitches that assist the bowlers are rarely found in the ODI formats.
Exceptions do exist, but let us not forget that the upcoming World Cup tournament is being hosted where it all began, England.
Are conventional cricketing norms applicable and practical for 'this' Indian team?
Team India is one of the few ODI teams in the world capable of dismantling any batting line-up and running havoc against any bowling attack, possessing a bunch of skilled champions who seem to accept everything, but not defeat.
However, worries and selection issues have not been far away from the Indian team. There are still some doubts on who will find a spot in the team and who will not, aren't there? To add fuel to the fire, orthodox beliefs that a team should show up with a lone spinner in English conditions make the existent worries even more frustrating for the management.
A solid trio right at the top, a veteran match-winner who has just gained his form, magical wristies, a destructive pace duo, a skilled set of all-rounders, some fresh blood and zealous, energetic youngsters; this team has everything that's required.
Then what's going wrong with the team? Of course, it's the lack of appropriate management of the available resources.
With not many matches to go before heading towards the grandest stage in the cricketing world, trying to choose one between Chahal and Kuldeep makes less or no sense.
This Indian team has been successful enough to demonstrate the power of performing in tandems, in all the departments.
Just for the sake of following what people say, a captain should not sacrifice his instincts to let both his spinners rise to the occasion. It would also be saddening for a spinner to sit out despite winning his team matches around the world consistently.
Striking key wickets in the middle overs has been a less-recognized reason why team India has gained tremendous success in the recent past. And to be honest, the middle-over wickets have been shared mostly by the duo of Chahal and Kuldeep. So, why should a captain drop even one of them, keeping the conditions in mind?
Bumrah and Bhuvi have done a great job together, during the start of the innings and towards the end as well. Pandya and Jadhav have lent their support as the fifth and sixth bowler of the Indian team sincerely as well.
What's the need of going parallelly with the conventional norms and values? Does India really have pacers who can outclass the masterclass displayed by the two spinners? The answer is 'No'.
Just ahead of the World Cup, taking unnecessary headaches is not a great thing to do. The only spot which seems to be on offer for Indian players for the World Cup is Number 4, which too has been occupied and nearly sealed by Ambati Rayudu.
To sum up,
Indian players have the talent, the skill and the ability to flourish at any part of the world and they have presented the fact on multiple occasions. Indian skipper Virat Kohli should look to back his decision of playing with both the leg-spinners and hand over the role of the third seamer to Hardik Pandya, who seems even more destined for success with the ball in hand with every match experience.
The ideal Indian XI for the World Cup matches with every player fit and fine would constitute of Rohit, Dhawan, and Kohli at the top; Rayudu, Dhoni, Kedar and Pandya to continue, Chahal and Kuldeep to ensure a tight bowling display and Bhuvi and Bumrah at the end to stun the oppositions' batsmen. Khaleel, Shami, Jadeja, Karthik, Pant and other fine alternatives should remain the back-up and just the back-up unless an undeniable circumstance arises.