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VVS Laxman: India-South Africa T20I series can be a mouth-watering prospect

MS Dhoni, I am sure, will be raring to have a go in India blues after a three-month hiatus from international cricket, says VVS Laxman.

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© PTI
MS Dhoni will be ‘raring to have a go’, writes VVS Laxman © PTI

After almost nine years of playing T20 Internationals (T20Is), India are all set to play their first ever three-T20I series, home or away. Of all Test-playing nations, India and Zimbabwe are the only ones to have never played one: that will change shortly. It is probably a coincidence that India are playing South Africa — the team against whom they had played their first ever T20I, in late 2006.

The series will be India’s first full home series since November 2014. The last two years have seen India visit South Africa, New Zealand, England, Australia, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka (seven of nine other Test-playing nations); I am sure Team India has learnt a lot from the experience of playing in different overseas conditions and will be looking forward to playing in front of their home crowds.

MS Dhoni, I am sure, will be raring to have a go in India blues after a three-month hiatus from international cricket. His last appearance, as captain and player, were against a rampant Bangladesh — who seem to be an unstoppable juggernaut these days at home. India had lost the series, and Dhoni is certainly looking to make amends.

The current Indian T20I side has a refreshing look to it. It is nice to see Sreenath Aravind being rewarded for his persistent performances in T20 cricket. Despite not getting a lot of opportunities in IPL 2015, he made the most of his five appearances, taking 8 for 132. He bowls a straight, off-stump line and maintains a steady length, and holds back his pace. He has also been excellent in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Karnataka.

Sreenath Aravind © PTI
Sreenath Aravind’s inclusion is a ‘bold move’ by the Indian selectors © PTI

It was an excellent, even bold, move by the selectors to include 31-year-old Aravind in the side. As Brad Hogg and Pravin Tambe have shown, it is a myth that older players cannot perform in T20 cricket. Stuart Binny was 30 when he was given his Test cap last year. Things are changing, and for the better.

The others make a good combination. It will be interesting to see if Dhoni pushes himself up the order. He had batted at No. 4 that in the last two ODIs in Bangladesh, scoring 47 and 69. Given the fact that he can accelerate at will as well as shepherd the innings, it is important he is out there for as long as possible. This stint at No. 4 may start a new phase in Dhoni’s career.

An interesting aspect of the side is the selection of four spinners —Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Akshar Patel and Harbhajan Singh. All four spinners have done exceedingly well in the T20 format and all of them are the main bowlers for their respective IPL sides. If the pitches are slow, Dhoni may be tempted to play three spinners.

That, however, is unlikely, given the usual conditions in Dharamsala in the evening. The strong breeze will, in all likelihood, come to the aid of the seamers. This should excite the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Stuart Binny; the third slot will be a toss-up between Mohit Sharma and Aravind, though it could be the more experienced Mohit that will get the nod to begin with. The spinners will be in business in Cuttack and Kolkata.

T20 cricket, indeed all limited-overs cricket, is the forte of Suresh Raina, and he has numbers to back his credibility. Not only is he the only Indian to score a T20I hundred, he has also proved his consistency in the 20-over format over eight IPL seasons. It should be fun to watch Virat Kohli, the highest scorer in T20Is for India and hero of ICC World T20 2014, form explosive partnerships with Raina and Dhoni.

Interestingly, South Africa have included two specialist spinners — Imran Tahir and Eddie Leie — to go with JP Duminy and Khaya Zondo. As is often the case with South African sides, the team is packed with quality all-rounders. In AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and David Miller they have some of the most explosive batsmen in the world, while Hashim Amla has proved himself as probably the best batsman across formats.

All in all, both sides will look at the series as ideal preparation for the 2016 World T20. Since all nations have started gearing up for the big tournament next year, the next few months will be exciting for T20 lovers across the world.

(VVS Laxman, CricketCountry’s Chief Cricket Mentor, remains one of the finest and most elegant batsmen in history. He was part of the iconic Indian middle-order for over a decade and a half and played 134 Tests and 86 ODIs. He tweets at @vvslaxman281)

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