After an immensely successful run in Test cricket, Cheteshwar Pujara gets a chance to play in the one-day format © IANS
By Prakash Govindasreenivasan
Sandeep Patil & Co pulled out the most charming rabbit from their hat by putting their best foot forward in the Indian team’s selection for the tour of Zimbabwe later this month.
The pre-selection murmurs had the return of Gautam Gambhir written all over it. With BCCI’s knack of reaching for the panic button more often than not, it would not have been surprising to see Gambhir in the squad with the age-old explanation of the need for experience in the side. However, nothing of such nature transpired.
At a time when players are falling prey to tight schedules, many would brand this tour of Zimbabwe as an unnecessary chore. But, the generous infusion of youngsters in the side makes it an interesting watch for the fans back in India.
Without a second thought, the selection panel decided to rest key figures in the Indian bowling department. While the likes of Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ishant Sharma will get to put their feet up after a few rigorous months of cricket, their heirs apparent Jaydev Unadkat, Parvez Rasool and Mohit Sharma will look to dazzle at every opportunity they get in the African nation.
Rasool will embark upon an emotional journey from the picturesque valleys in Kashmir to Zimbabwe to become the first to represent India from the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The series will also give Amit Mishra some game time and hence a chance to become a regular second-choice spinner after Ashwin.
As far as young Mohit and Unadkat are concerned, their hard work in the domestic season has borne fruit. Mohit turned heads in the 2012-13 Ranji season with Haryana when he finished as the fifth highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He picked up 44 wickets in 11 matches for Haryana. The 24-year-old also impressed while turning out for the Chennai Super Kings under MS Dhoni’s leadership in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2013. One also got to see an improved Jaydev Unadkat in the sixth edition of the IPL and this chance seems well-deserved.
The most satisfying selection was that of Cheteshwar Pujara. Having cemented his spot in the Test line-up, a call-up in the ODI squad was always round the corner. With a solid technique and a firm head, Pujara will add great stability to the flamboyant batting order. Zimbabwe will be a good place to amass runs and stake a permanent claim in the team. Ajinkya Rahane’s return to the side will also give much needed depth. With Vijay missing the bus, there are chances Rahane could be tried out at the top of the order. In spite of the chance coming in a tour against Zimbabwe, Rahane will be more than eager to grab the opportunity. The middle-order could also see Ambati Rayudu as a regular feature.
Selectors have also done well to show faith in the newly-formed opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma. The duo has a good platform to understand each other’s games and get used to spending a long time together at the wicket.
Sandeep Patil & Co received a lot of praise for their courageous step to pick a side sans too much experience during a major event like ICC Champions Trophy 2013, which Dhoni went on to lift. At a time when they could have fallen back on easier options as back-up in a limited-overs tour of minnows Zimbabwe, they have sent out the right signal by showing faith in youngsters who have performed well. This will be the second time in succession that the selectors have put current form over reputation. This attitude will bode well for the future of this team.
India squad:
Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Cheteshwar Pujara, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Parvez Rasool, Shami Ahmed, Vinay Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohit Sharma
(Prakash Govindasreenivasan is a reporter with CricketCountry. His Twitter handle is @PrakashG_89)