Published: Aug 11, 2015, 12:30 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 11, 2015, 12:30 PM (IST)
As India look to start a new era under the leadership of Virat Kohli, there are a lot of Test spots that are up for grabs and Nikhil Popat picks the following five players will be under the microscope as the Test series against Sri Lanka gets underway.
India’s last Test, a one-off in Bangladesh, was a draw courtesy rain after they made Bangladesh follow-on. It was reminiscent of how India used to perform in the early 1990s: bat first, score big and bowl opposition out with spin in two-and-a-half days. As Virat Kohli begins his first full series as Test captain, there will be lots of eyeballs on some members of this team. While competition is always good, for the following five players the Sri Lanka tour may be a-make-or break series. Read: India’s likely XI for 1st Test vs Sri Lanka at Galle
Virat Kohli: The Indian Test captain has not quite looked in best of forms since the Australian tour. Since the century against Pakistan in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, he has not had impactful knocks. India will hope he gets his groove back and leads India from the front on their tour to Sri Lanka. He played in the unofficial ‘Test’ against Australia A but could only muster 45. Even in the tour game he looked far from his best. He has enjoyed success against Sri Lanka in coloured clothing and will want to make sure he gets back to scoring runs at the top in whites. Read: Virat Kohli’s trial by fire as Test captain begins with tour of Sri Lanka
Shikhar Dhawan: Dhawan was not in line to play the only Test against Bangladesh but got a lucky break when KL Rahul was injured. He made full use of it and got a massive 173 under his belt. India have seen this side of Dhawan before: he has got the big score every now and then but has failed to back it up with consistent scores. With Vijay ruled out of the first Test, Dhawan knows he needs to be more consistent and the three-Test series will be a good platform for him to exploit. Read: Shikhar Dhawan’s best chance to seal Test spot
Rohit Sharma: The question has been around for some time now, ever since Cheteshwar Pujara flopped on the tours of England and Australia. Rohit who was presented with the opportunity to bat at No. 3. He scored a fifty in the fourth Test against Australia and was retained for the one-off Test against Bangladesh, where He failed to make an impact. Rohit’s main issue persists: he gets starts but often throws them away. Pujara had a good time with Yorkshire but Kohli made it clear that Rohit will bat at No. 3; hence one could feel this series could be a decider for Rohit who has had his talent talked about more than his scores and exploits in cricket. Read: Is Rohit Sharma the right choice at No. 3 for India in Test cricket?
Amit Mishra: Mishra last played for India in the Test against England at Edgbaston in 2011. He was not even on the fringes of selection for a long time but when Yasir Shah wreaked havoc in Sri Lanka, Indian selectors decided to pick the leg-spinner. Mishra has always been impressive on spinning wickets, but has seldom made an impact on flatter decks. It will be interesting if India opt for a three-spinner strategy against Sri Lanka. If they do, Amit will have a lot of eyeballs scrutinising every spell of his.
Umesh Yadav: Umesh has always been talked about as the rising star of Indian cricket; everyone has been talking of his pace and ability to win matches. But his Test numbers do not quite back that argument, and with Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami all performing, Umesh will have to make an impact soon to seal his spot in the team. He has 43 wickets from 13 Tests at an average of 38.06, but what has always hurt his chances is his abysmal economy rate of 4.36. He bowls a good spell every now and then but goes wayward after that. He has the pace, but needs to learn to control it and bowl good lines to earn richer rewards. With Kohli insisting on playing five bowlers, it is likely that the toss-up for the fifth bowler will be between him and Mishra, at least for the first Test. Read: India vs Sri Lanka 2015, 1st Test at Galle preview
(Nikhil Popat is a die hard cricket enthusiast and a PotterHead till the end of time. He can be followed on Twitter @CricCrazyNIKS)
