5 players for whom the India-Zimbabwe series is crucial
A second-string side led by Ajinkya Rahane has been selected for India's tour of Zimbabwe where the teams will play three ODIs and two T20s. Key members of the side like Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Umesh Yadav, ODI captain MS Dhoni and Test captain Virat Kohli have been rested for the tour.Unhappiness with India's performance against Bangladesh in the recently concluded tour was apparent among the selectors and it was only expected that a few changes would be made.The selectors also made it clear that some of the players have been picked in the squad as a reward for their good performances keeping in mind the 2016 ICC World Twemty20. This tour will be therefore a huge test for this young squad.Good performances are bound to get them noticed and might just be the career-defining moment for most of them. Let us look at five players for whom the tour will be especially crucial.
#5 Stuart Binny
Hailed as India's most promising all-rounder when he burst onto the scene in the now defunct Indian Cricket League in 2007, Stuart Binny has failed to live up to the name. A string of good performances in the IPL since then and especially in the domestic circuit where he has scored heavily at a healthy strike-rate has ensured his place in the Indian squad.
But Binny has been somewhat of an enigma and his performances have largely failed to impress the selectors so far. His unforgettable spell of 6 for 4 against Bangladesh where he single-handedly won India the match will be etched in everyone's memory. It was believed that if Binny would be the fifth bowling option and bat at number seven, India's search for a genuine all-rounder especially on foreign soil had come to an end
But Binny has never been able to replicate that kind of a performance again and has failed to cement his place in the side. Even in the 2015 World Cup where Binny was picked as a genuine all-rounder who could swing the ball, Binny failed to get a single game. This seems to be the last chance for him to impress the selectors.