India’s report card from Zimbabwe and the prospects of the fringe players

India routed Zimbabwe 5-0 in the One-Day International (ODI) series on expected lines. It was a tournament in which India fielded a squad full of fringe players, some of whom got to showcase their talent on the field.

India routed Zimbabwe 5-0 in the One-Day International (ODI) series on expected lines. It was a tournament in which India fielded a squad full of fringe players, some of whom got to showcase their talent on the field. Nishad Pai Vaidya assesses the performances of each member of the Indian team on the tour to Zimbabwe. He also looks at the possibilities once the rested players return to the squad.
Encounters against minnows can often be taken for granted. A victory may not get the usual appreciation, while a defeat will attract a slew of criticism. Thus, it is important for the stronger side to do a complete job and not get carried away by the results.

Virat Kohli’s India left nothing to chance as they whitewashed Zimbabwe 5-0 in the One-Day International (ODI) series. The last time India toured the country with a weakened side, they failed miserably. Things turned around this time as the fringe players put their hands up and showed that India have depth in their roster. However, one may feel that they haven’t handed enough opportunities to some squad members. Parvez Rasool did not even get a game when he could have been given a run after the series was in the bag. Aakash Chopra’s tweet sums up the whole scenario:

Rayudu batted thrice, Pujara twice, Rahane once…enough to know what you wanted to know about them? #IndvsZim

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) August 3, 2013

Nevertheless, let us assess the performance of each member of the touring party and their prospects for the future:

Shikhar Dhawan continued to assert himself at the top with quickfire innings that helped India tackle the conditions upfront. Although he had a few reprieves during his hundred in the second ODI, he made up for the slowish start later on and showed that he can bide his time in the middle. To top it all, that knock came when India were in a precarious position and Zimbabwe were looking good to embarrass India. For him, this tour was more about assurance and building his confidence.

Rohit Sharma only had the one good innings to his name in this series. Following two good campaigns at the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 and the tri-nation tournament in West Indies, this series was a bit of a stop-start affair. The worrying thing was that he got out chasing deliveries outside the off-stump in three consecutive games. If he has to open the batting in the long run, that is where he has to iron out the wrinkles. He works very hard to get his eye in by being watchful to the two new balls and then he throws it away by succumbing to the temptation. The fifty in the fourth game was much-needed to get the monkey off his back.

Virat Kohli grows in stature with each passing series and this experience would help his captaincy prospects. His batting is as assured as ever, but his shrewd captaincy was impressive. India had Zimbabwe on the mat on numerous occasions and Kohli maintained the pressure by keeping his men up and attacking the batsmen. Later in the series, he was flexible with his batting order and allowed a few players more time in the middle. However, he could have handled his resources better and given Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane opportunities early in the series.

Ajinkya Rahane has been rooted to the bench since his international debut and would usually get the odd chance in dead games. This time, he made that lone opportunity count with a good fifty in the last ODI. With there being intense competition for spots, Rahane has to capitalize on these outings and then hope for a long run in the side. The selectors’ treatment towards him has been illogical at times and one doesn’t know what this innings would do to help his cause.

Ambati Rayudu only got the three hits in the middle and has done no harm to his reputation. He may have been a little slow to get on with things, but has proved his attacking instincts at the Indian Premier League (IPL). On debut, he scripted a calm half-century in tough conditions to see India to victory.

Cheteshwar Pujara’s long awaited ODI debut finally came by and it was disappointing to see him fall early. He may now have to put in the extra effort to get back into the one-day team.

Suresh Raina struggled early in the series and made up for it with an attacking half-century in the fourth game. There is still a lot of chatter about his inability to replicate his dominance away from the sub-continent. India have a few away series lined-up and they would be a huge test for Raina. His latest innings would certainly help him, but he has a lot to prove in foreign conditions in the near future.

Ravindra Jadeja had another decent series and has firmly established himself as the all-rounder who bats at No 7. With Amit Mishra wreaking havoc at the other end, Jadeja did not have much to do in the series. He did however get the crucial breakthroughs at the odd interval.

Dinesh Karthik had to assert himself with the bat if he had to stay in the side. He may be the ideal back-up wicketkeeper, but it is his batting that will keep him in the scheme of things. Walking into bat at 65 for four in the second ODI, he proved his worth with a typically proactive innings which helped India rise from that muddle and post a good total.

Mohit Sharma had a dream debut in helpful conditions at Bulawayo. The most impressive aspect of his bowling was that he moved the ball both ways. What he lacks in pace, he makes up for it in movement and he could be a decent back-up for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. At the same time, he may also face competition from Praveen Kumar to be in India’s plans.

R Vinay Kumar had the opportunity to cement his spot in the team after being on the bench for a long time. Watching Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar doing well, Vinay Kumar would have been itching to go out and this tour was his chance to lead from the front and prove his worth. But, he was too expensive and only troubled the batsmen on the rare occasion.

Jaydev Unadkat’s emergence gives India tremendous hope for the future. India need the left-arm option in their pace battery as that would give them more variety. Unadkat has been accurate during this series and hasn’t shied away from bowling bouncers. There were times when he worked batsmen out by bowling a persistent line and then surprising them with his variations. He finished as the second-highest wicket-taker behind Mishra.

Shami Ahmed has been stable, but not spectacular since his debut. With brisk pace and the ability to keep it tight, Shami can be a useful option in one-day cricket. He has been consistent on this tour, but his performances haven’t been forceful enough to keep his place once the more established bowlers come back.

Amit Mishra is undoubtedly the biggest positive to emerge from this tour. It was quite astonishing that he wasn’t in the one-day setup as he performed well during his last outing in coloured clothing. Ravichandran Ashwin is India’s leading spinner and they needed someone who could replace him if need be. Mishra showed tremendous guile and foxed the batsmen with his googlies consistently.
What would be the possible squad for the next series?

India’s next scheduled ODI assignment is against Australia at home in October. In all probability, the frontline players such as Dhoni, Ashwin, Ishant, Yadav and Bhuvneshwar would return for that. So, what would be India’s 15-man squad?

The certainties (barring injuries): Dhoni, Kohli, Dhawan, Rohit, Jadeja, Raina, Ashwin, Ishant, Mishra, Yadav and Bhuvneshwar.

The four remaining spots would be filled by two batsmen and two bowlers.

Players in the fray:

The batsmen: Karthik, Rayudu, Pujara and Rahane.

The bowlers: Mohit, Unadkat, Vinay Kumar, Irfan Pathan, Shami and Rasool.

Meanwhile, there would be other players who may also throw their hat in the ring if they perform well before that series. The most crucial tournament for majority of these players (who are a part of the India A team for the South Africa tour) would be one-day tri-series against South Africa A and Australia A. In the lead-up to the Australia series, India A will also play New Zealand A at home. The Challenger Trophy will also take place in late September — which would feature the best domestic players in the country. Thus, Pujara, Rayudu and the others have to perform in these assignments to strengthen their cases.

As Sourav Ganguly pointed out recently, India are yet to settle on a line-up for the 2015 World Cup as this team’s performance has to be assessed over a longer period of time. It is obvious that India have numerous contenders and some of the youngsters have done well on the tour to Zimbabwe. Perhaps a Yuvraj Singh or a Gautam Gambhir may push for a recall. But, a holistic picture does vindicate the fact that India have a good bench strength and that is a pivotal to a team’s success.

(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_44)

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