India tour of Australia 2015-16: Indian selectors need to pick the side keeping ICC World T20 2016 in mind

India tour of Australia 2015-16: Indian selectors need to pick the side keeping ICC World T20 2016 in mind

Less than a year after their eventful tour of Australia that ended with a defeat against the host in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 semi-final, India are again heading Down Under — this time solely for a limited-overs series. ICC World Twenty20 will be hosted in India in March 2016, and despite the conditions being very different, the series in Australia is being viewed by most as a preparatory one for the same. Therefore, when the Sandeep Patil-led wise men sit on Saturday to select the Indian team for Australia, the ICC tournament will be on their mind. READ: India squad for Australia tour to be announced on December 19: BCCI

The certainties: It is unlikely that India will have two separate teams for ODIs and T20Is. So are we expecting any surprises? MS Dhoni will lead the side with Virat Kohli as his deputy. Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin pick themselves. Shikhar Dhawan‘s form has been ordinary of late, but with a crucial tournament coming up it is unlikely that he will be dropped, more so because he had a good World Cup Down Under. The experienced Murali Vijay and young Shreyas Iyer will be pressing for a spot but Dhawan is expected to make the cut.

Suresh Raina dilemma: When India played South Africa at home recently there were questions asked on Raina’s form. Earlier this week, Raina became the first player to be picked by Team Rajkot during the IPL draft and fetched Rs 12.5 crores. This very fact highlights the importance of Raina in the shortest format and he is indispensible. He is key to India fortunes in ODIs as well, but his recent form has been ordinary. Post World Cup 2015, he has 180 runs at 22.50 and even in the shortest format, he has not replicated his usual magic neither for India nor in the IPL. Another statistic that goes against him is his record in Australia, where he averages a pitiful 27.26.

There is no denying that Raina enjoys tremendous support from his captain Dhoni but has done himself no favour scoring only 55 runs at 13.75 in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. The fact that the World T20 is around the corner might save the batsman from the axe.

Return of Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami: Jadeja’s return to form has been a boon to India; he has been the best Indian cricketer this season at all levels. Apart from his good show with the ball, Jadeja also brought up his maiden List A hundred earlier this month. Jadeja might have had a poor World Cup Down Under but the rejuvenated version aptly fits into the all-rounder’s role. In addition, the good news is Mohammed Shami’s return to cricket after nine long months. Shami, who underwent a knee surgery post World Cup recently returned to action in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and has so far claimed three wickets at just over 30. READ: Ravindra Jadeja set for comeback to India’s ODI and T20I squads for Australia tour

Shami’s fitness will be one of the most discussed points in the selection meeting; if he is 100 per cent fit he is a certainty, and will lead the pace attack. If not then Mohit Sharma, who bowled well in the World Cup, should serve as the backup.

Other pacers: Umesh Yadav was dropped midway during the ODIs against South Africa but the Vidarbha Express has returned a much better bowler. Umesh was brilliant in the third Test against South Africa at Delhi and has picked 9 wickets at 9.89 from four Vijay Hazare Trophy games. Umesh was also India’s highest wicket-taker in the World Cup, so it makes sense having him.

Ishant Sharma, too, is a much-improved bowler and picked a fifer last week against Vidarbha. With matches being played on tracks offering good bounce in Perth and Brisbane, he is expected to stage a comeback too.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has struck form in time and is someone who adds variety to the attack. While Shami can get the ball to skid, Ishant can hit the deck hard, Umesh can bowl express pace, Bhuvneshwar can get the Kookaburra ball to swing. He is a thinking bowler who has done well in the shortest format.

Spinners: With Ashwin and Jadeja making it, Amit Mishra is the leading candidate for the third spinner’s spot. Mishra had a good Test series against South Africa; in the current domestic competition he has bagged 12 List A wickets at under 17. Being a leg-spinner he adds to the variety as well. Mishra’s presence will mean that veteran Harbhajan Singh will be dropped.

Fringes and Yuvraj Singh: Ambati Rayudu has been around the national side for some time, and he has not had a fruitful domestic season. Not many cricketers have been dropped from the side after scoring a match-winning hundred but Kedar Jadhav has been. Jadhav was a part of the Indian side earlier this year which won a series in Zimbabwe. In the final match, he scored a blistering 105 not out from just 87-balls but was never played an ODI again. Jadhav, 31, is an explosive middle-order batsman, who has already scored two hundreds in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has scored 344 runs at 57.33 at a strike-rate of over 104. He deserves to be rewarded with a national berth for his show.

Whenever India gears up for a marquee limited-overs tournament, Yuvraj’s name invariably pops up.  Yuvraj is still big, and if he is picked it will certainly not be to warm benches. He has had a good Vijay Hazare Trophy so far, and Punjab has benefitted from that. Yuvraj averages over 85 with a strike rate of close to 104 in the ongoing tournament. Though he deserves a recall, as per our past learning it is unlikely that he will return; this selection committee has clearly showed that they are looking beyond him. However, that will not be the case for Yuvraj’s Punjab teammate Gurkeerat Singh.

Gurkeerat has had a very good run in shorter formats in domestic cricket and has been around the national team for a while. He may get a nod over Stuart Binny, who is not expected to make it to the XI given the presence of the likes of Ashwin and Jadeja.

Considering India have the habit of taking as many as 17 players on away tours (budget is hardly a factor for BCCI these days), it won’t be a surprise if they decide to do so. If they do that, two players who may make the cut are Robin Uthappa and Akshar Patel.

Uthappa can keep wickets in shorter formats, and has scored plenty of runs for Karnataka. He has spent a decade in fringes, has played marquee tournaments and has the experience of playing in Australia, which will come handy; he will also be a reliable back-up.

Akshar has also done well with the ball in opportunities he has got, and continues to shine for Gujarat. Too many spinners will not be needed in Australia, but with spin being India’s core strength, it will not a bad idea to include him as well.

Likely squad: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Virat Kohli (vc), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Amit Mishra, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Gurkeerat Singh, Kedar Jadhav.

Extra players: Mohit Sharma, Akshar Patel, Robin Uthappa.