The members of the Indian cricket team have had to go through tough times recently. Other than the fact that they have been overworked like mules, they have also encountered some crippling defeats that have led many to question stalwarts such as MS Dhoni about their responsibility as leaders of the pack. READ: Shikhar Dhawan’s form during Bangladesh series a major positive for India
Playing non-stop cricket since landing on Australian shores last November, India have gone through the the four-match Test series, the Triangular series also featuring England, ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015, and finally the tour of Bangladesh. The players have barely had a couple of weeks to settle down and catch their breath in between, and the devastating defeats to Bangladesh in the recently concluded ODI series is but a sign that India needs to rest several members of the team. READ: Dropping Ajinkya Rahane was the right call
India were scheduled to visit Zimbabwe in the month of July, although the likelihood of the series taking place has been hanging in balance for quite some time now. But the series is now likely to happen, and reports suggest that BCCI is likely to send a second-string side for the tour. Instead of the likes of Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan etc., they are likely to give opportunities to the likes of Robin Uthappa, KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, and Shardul Thakur, among others. READ: Kuldeep Yadav: I was furious when my coach first asked me to bowl spin
The move will be seen by many as a practical one taken by the board, with more pros to it than cons. The hectic calendar that Team India endured over the last seven months or so has seen a few unsung cricketers make a mark on the bigger stage. Not only will the senior players get their much-needed rest after months of craziness, it will also test players consistent in recent domestic events on the international stage and give the selectors additional options for future tournaments. READ: Virat Kohli’s poor form: What is going wrong for India’s talismanic batsman?
The 2014-15 season of the Ranji Trophy saw the likes of Robin Uthappa and KL Rahul excel with the bat, while Vinay Kumar and Shardul Thakur were excellent with the ball. For people such as Uthappa and Karthik, the series against Zimbabwe might be a source of hope for a possible international return. The series will also be an opportunity for bowlers such as Dhawal Kulkarni, who has not had many opportunities to prove himself in the last few months to establish himself. READ: India’s overseas woes touch new lows with series defeat to Bangladesh
On the flip side, the developments by the BCCI reek of its haste and unpreparedness, with uncertainty prevailing in the administration until the last moment. The ups and downs as far as the Zimbabwe tour is concerned will only serve the purpose of sending negative signals to the Zimbabwean board. READ: India vs Bangladesh 2015: India do the basics right to salvage some pride
While the BCCI’s decision to send a young side to Zimbabwe will surely be the best thing to go about at the moment, let us hope the BCCI does not limit its professionalism just to major boards such as Cricket Australia (CA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) — aka members of The Big Three — but with the uncelebrated members as well. READ: Is it time for India to replace out-of-form Ravindra Jadeja?
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(Amit Banerjee, a reporter at CricketCountry, takes keen interest in photography, travelling, technology, automobiles, food and, of course, cricket. He can be followed on Twitter via his handle@akb287)
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