Published: Dec 15, 2016, 07:30 AM (IST)
Edited: Dec 15, 2016, 12:08 AM (IST)
As we approach the end of 2016, Team India will hope to finish a successful and a record-breaking season on a high, fending off any challenge the English pose to them in the fifth and final Test at Chennai. Already having an unassailable lead of 3-0, India will bank on their firebrand captain Virat Kohli to go on an all-out attack on Alastair Cook’s fragile England side. India, have been blessed to have players like Ravichandran Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja in absolute top form during their ascendance to world domination.
Going by numbers, India has come out on top against England in all departments (runs and wickets), apart from the number dropped catches, which the visitors’ hold an edge. To India’s good fortune, England, have had injuries to key players at crucial juncture in the series, which has kind of handicapped them. Kohli has written, rewritten and erased every batting record at will in the ongoing series, while Ashwin has recreated bowling history by the over.
FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs England, 5th test at Chennai
With Kohli hinting towards a more free and fearless approach going into the fifth Test at Chepauk, it would not come as a surprise, if India fields a slightly new look playing XI come the 16th.
Top Order: Murali Vijay finally coming into his own at Mumbai. He will certainly want to rekindle his show with the bat once again in his hometown. Vijay will want end a long ongoing debate about who is India’s numero uno opener with yet another hundred. KL Rahul, who had a magnificent West Indies series, will want to hammer his place in the opening slot and provide India with steady starts. A good show against England will go a long way in him securing a place in the Test side for the series versus Australia.
Pujara, India’s crisis man and forever No. 3, continues to rise and shine to newer heights with every innings. Discarding a few technical flaws every now and then, Pujara sends out an aura of immovability about himself in this side.
Middle Order: Kohli, India’s most loved and famed batsmen in current times, will obviously bat at 4 up. Given his extraordinaire form off late, Chennai will in all likelihood witness Kohli conjure a cyclone of his own in the middle. There can be a toss-up between Karun Nair and Manish Pandey for the No. 5 spot as Ajinkya Rahane remains unfit.
Nair played the 3rd and 4th Tests. Much to his disappointment has just 17 runs to his name, though he can hardly be blamed for his run out in the first of these. Pandey, on the other hand, has been in good form in the domestic circuit, and can be given a look-in as this poses the best opportunity for the Indian management to dish out any experiments before the Australian series.
India’s long-loved kid Parthiv Patel is slated to bat at No.6, not his most preferred position. Patel has showed sparks and moments of brilliance in the series with the bat, but remains to outshine Wriddhiman Saha as the keeper’ in the side.
Coming at No. 7 does not do justice to the immense talent of Ashwin. While Ashwin can currently do no wrong with ball, he also scores classy hundreds like they were as easy buying sweets from a store.
Lower Order:
Ravindra Jadeja, India’s second spinner, has proved the perfect foil to Ashwin’s sorcery against England. With his impeccable line and length, Jadeja has outwitted batsmen several times. Given that he has also been scoring runs of late, he will certainly eye improvement.
Fresh from a maiden Test hundred, Jayant Yadav is not your usual No.9. Jayant has both technical prowess and unorthodox bluntness in his batting to add to his intelligent, tidy bowling. Team India has a torpedo waiting to fire.
With Mohammed Shami ruled out of the Test, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will in all probability keep his place in the side. With all the rain and moisture around Chennai, Bhuvneshwar could get a bit of help from the pitch, which increases his chances of picking wickets up manifolds.
India may opt for Ishant Sharma in place of Umesh Yadav. This has been a long year already, and knowing more 5 more Tests remain in the season, Anil Kumble and co. may like to rest India’s only match-fit genuine fast bowler.
This will also be the perfect chance for Ishant to drop in his calling card for the Australia series, with a reputable show at Chennai.
India Likely XI: Virat Kohli (c), Parthiv Patel (wk), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Manish Pandey/Karun Nair, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma/Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar .
(Vishal Mehra is a reporter at CricketCountry, currently tripping on #BlackMirror and #TheFlashS03, enjoying his weekly dose of anime, monthly viewing of sitcoms, daily playing cricket once every few hours, and also venturing into table-tennis. He can be followed on Twitter @capturethecatch)
