 |
| Team India in England, 2014 |
India's World Cup squad
Player
|
Role
|
Shikhar Dhawan
|
Opener
|
Rohit Sharma
|
Opener
|
Ajinkya Rahane
|
Opener/Middle order
|
Virat Kohli (vice captain)
|
Middle order
|
Suresh Raina
|
Middle order
|
Ambati Rayudu
|
Middle order
|
MS Dhoni (captain)
|
Wicket keeper/Middle order
|
Ravindra Jadeja
|
All-rounder (spin)
|
Stuart Binny
|
All-rounder (pace)
|
Ravichandran Ashwin
|
Spinner
|
Axar Patel
|
Spinner
|
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
|
Fast medium
|
Ishant Sharma
|
Fast medium
|
Mohammed Shami
|
Fast medium
|
Umesh Yadav
|
Fast medium
|
The squad may not look terrific but a well balanced one. Our job here is not to praise the selection committee and the players we have in hand. They have made a couple of miscalculations, we feel.
As one would expect, we are going to analyse some of the weak links in the Indian squad.
Ravindra Jadeja
Wait! Don’t rise up. Calling the leading wicket taker of Team India in 2014 as a weakness might look foolish, but he is really one. The shoulder injury that forced him to return home from the ongoing Australia tour is pulling his strings back and it may even make India suffer badly. The left-hander is really one of the best limited overs all-rounders present right now, but what can he offer by sitting on the bench and watching his lads play? Nothing.
It is reported early that the player could miss the tournament owing to his health condition. It was strongly rumored that the 2011 WC hero Yuvraj Singh might be recalled, once again, to help his country to the championship. Somehow, the selectors hope that Jadeja's body will hold firm and the Saurashtra player has got his ticket. Let us also wish that he will get rid of his injury and save his supporters from some very harsh criticism.
Stuart Binny
Have anybody seen this boy in the WC squad in your dreams? Honestly, we didn't. His inclusion have made some heavy impact with the fans where most of the people are not even aware that this player will overtake the likes of mighty Yuvraj Singh, particularly in the current form. Is he worth it? We are not sure. Only Binny can answer with his performances if he got any chance to play in the middle.
He will not be awarded with second chances because he is playing in WORLD CUP. Not a reliable seamer nor a trusted batsman. But under helpful conditions, he can be a handy bowler and might add some quick runs with the bat. Fingers crossed!
Axar Patel
This inexperienced young man has indeed shown great level of consistency in the last version of the Indian Premier League and also in the following Champions League T20. His inclusion is not very questionable but again, can he handle the occasion is the million dollar question. It still has to be seen how well he can adapt to unfamiliar conditions.
But time will answer for sure and we can expect him to get more play time unlike his compatriot Stuart Binny, courtesy, the former's heroics for Kings XI Punjab.
The bowling department
The inexperienced, the weakest and the most inconsistent area of the team. They deserve more but we are out of words. They showed promise, have potential, been under expert guidance for so long now, yet, all of these has not made any impact on them. Except Ishant Sharma all the other players have just minimal experience outside the subcontinent. Even Ishant was branded as a long spell bowler and was not a regular in the limited overs formats.
The rejection of Mohit Sharma from the squad looks a bit unwise as the player’s ability to slow the run rate coupled with his tricky slow balls can serve better in the grounds of Australia which are larger in comparison to home. But the pace of Umesh Yadav can help us considering the traditionally bouncy tracks Down Under.
Other worries
For India to do well, we need the spinners to excel. We cannot guarantee success in seamer friendly, bouncy conditions of New Zealand and Australia.
Also, Dhawan despite being a hit or miss player, cannot be judged based on his Test match performances. Remember, he has made some telling contributions in the Champions Trophy, 2013 held in England.
Puthiya Kuralgal Team
0 comments :
Post a Comment