My previous post was an analysis for managing Dhoni's and Sachin's workload in India colors. Continuing in the same vein, I would like to point out one curious facet in my choice squad of 14 for India's home engagements with South Africa later this month.
My squad of 14 includes the same old, tried and tested 'test' batting line up for India. This choice of mine was followed by a comment by AnandKrishna that it is time to give Badrinath his international test call up. In the light of this comment, let me make it very clear that I have not given my squad of 14 as my favorite test squad. It is a squad which I feel is most likely as well as likeable given the current line of thought of the selectors. I do not think the selectors are even comtemplating infusing new blood in the test squad.
I do not think the selectors will be bold enough to throw in a newbie like S. Badrinath or even Manoj Tiwary for contesting a batting spot with the fab-four of Indian cricket. Mark my words - sooner of later, the selectors will have to look towards youth even in the test team. It would sound too cynical now, but I had fervently told my father during the Aus-Ind test series that Ganguly would fail at Perth and thereon. Dravid never got going in Australia and Laxman and Sachin aren't getting any younger. Clearly, the Indians were out-fielded by the Australians in the test series. Right now, it may not seem decisive, but give it some time and India's lack of athleticism in the field will eventually cost us a test.
India and especially Anil Kumble have big dreams of upstaging Australia from the number one test spot. Kumble however has more realistic aims. He wishes to leave India at number one or withing striking distance by the end of the year. I have a strong feeling he will announce his international retirement after the Ind-Aus test series later this year. That way, he will be doing the greatest service to Indian cricket. He will have shepherded the bowling through the tough 1990s and would have bowed out with the bowling in more than capable hands. What is more, he will be reducing the average age of the test team which invariably means more athletic ability. All in all, Kumble retiring after his last, forthcoming Aussie encounter will be a fantastic ending to a monumental and historic career in Indian as well as world cricket.
What about the fab-four though? Clearly, Ganguly will not make it into any of the top test playing nations as a batsman alone because he is too one-dimensional to be a specialist. He is too much of a liability on the field that a captain has to build strategies around him. Then again, he is not so consistent with the bat that you can back him for at least one century in a series. Laxman has never been too athletic and Dravid has slowed down a wee bit too but both these batsmen are under lesser pressure on the field because their slip fielding is still of the highest quality. Dravid will be under as much pressure as Ganguly because of his famine in run-making in the semi-arid lands down under.
Its really a poignant fact but on the face of it, Sachin still seems to be the most athletic of the fab-four after 18 years of international cricket and this truth is vindicated by the fact that even Dhoni sees Sachin as fit to play in the ODI format. Still, Sachin is on the brink of an injury. If he is not careful in choosing which games to play and which to pass, I reckon his international career is in for some rough weather (more like a hurricane ending!!).
All in all, it is time to look beyond the fab-four and Kumble. It is time to put a date on Piyush Chawla's test re-entry. It is time to give Yuvraj a kick up his backside and ask him to start taking his test spot seriously. And finally, endorsing Anand Krishna's view, it is time to start bleeding some new talent who have promised at the domestic level.
The time is ripe for picking India's next test batting generation.
My squad of 14 includes the same old, tried and tested 'test' batting line up for India. This choice of mine was followed by a comment by AnandKrishna that it is time to give Badrinath his international test call up. In the light of this comment, let me make it very clear that I have not given my squad of 14 as my favorite test squad. It is a squad which I feel is most likely as well as likeable given the current line of thought of the selectors. I do not think the selectors are even comtemplating infusing new blood in the test squad.
I do not think the selectors will be bold enough to throw in a newbie like S. Badrinath or even Manoj Tiwary for contesting a batting spot with the fab-four of Indian cricket. Mark my words - sooner of later, the selectors will have to look towards youth even in the test team. It would sound too cynical now, but I had fervently told my father during the Aus-Ind test series that Ganguly would fail at Perth and thereon. Dravid never got going in Australia and Laxman and Sachin aren't getting any younger. Clearly, the Indians were out-fielded by the Australians in the test series. Right now, it may not seem decisive, but give it some time and India's lack of athleticism in the field will eventually cost us a test.
India and especially Anil Kumble have big dreams of upstaging Australia from the number one test spot. Kumble however has more realistic aims. He wishes to leave India at number one or withing striking distance by the end of the year. I have a strong feeling he will announce his international retirement after the Ind-Aus test series later this year. That way, he will be doing the greatest service to Indian cricket. He will have shepherded the bowling through the tough 1990s and would have bowed out with the bowling in more than capable hands. What is more, he will be reducing the average age of the test team which invariably means more athletic ability. All in all, Kumble retiring after his last, forthcoming Aussie encounter will be a fantastic ending to a monumental and historic career in Indian as well as world cricket.
What about the fab-four though? Clearly, Ganguly will not make it into any of the top test playing nations as a batsman alone because he is too one-dimensional to be a specialist. He is too much of a liability on the field that a captain has to build strategies around him. Then again, he is not so consistent with the bat that you can back him for at least one century in a series. Laxman has never been too athletic and Dravid has slowed down a wee bit too but both these batsmen are under lesser pressure on the field because their slip fielding is still of the highest quality. Dravid will be under as much pressure as Ganguly because of his famine in run-making in the semi-arid lands down under.
Its really a poignant fact but on the face of it, Sachin still seems to be the most athletic of the fab-four after 18 years of international cricket and this truth is vindicated by the fact that even Dhoni sees Sachin as fit to play in the ODI format. Still, Sachin is on the brink of an injury. If he is not careful in choosing which games to play and which to pass, I reckon his international career is in for some rough weather (more like a hurricane ending!!).
All in all, it is time to look beyond the fab-four and Kumble. It is time to put a date on Piyush Chawla's test re-entry. It is time to give Yuvraj a kick up his backside and ask him to start taking his test spot seriously. And finally, endorsing Anand Krishna's view, it is time to start bleeding some new talent who have promised at the domestic level.
The time is ripe for picking India's next test batting generation.
No comments:
Post a Comment