With West Indies’ tour of India being called off due to the WICB-WICA-West Indies player payment dispute, India lose out on playing a One-Day International (ODI), a Twenty20 International (T20I) and three Test matches. However, with Sri Lanka agreeing to a five-match ODI series in November, Shiamak Unwalla wonders whether the whole issue could actually be a blessing in disguise for India.
It finally happened. West Indies’ tour of India has been cancelled. It threatened to happen before the first ball was bowled, but better sense prevailed then. At least we got three riveting ODIs. But despite the positives of Marlon Samuels’ twin tons, Virat Kohli’s usual good form, and Mohammed Shami’s improved display, this series will go down in the history books as one marred by off-the-field issues.
The West Indies Player Association (WIPA) have emerged from this whole saga as the villains, while the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indian players have had their own roles to play in bringing to an end a series that was filled with much promise.
An ODI that could have decided the final outcome of the series was sacrificed. A T20 that would have doubtless enthralled millions had to be scrapped. Unfortunately for Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay, they have probably played for India for the last time this year.
And yet, thanks to the ever-readiness of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the acumen of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), there is yet a chance for things to work out in India’s favour. For at the cost of an ODI, a T20I and three Tests, they will get to play a five-match ODI series against a much stronger side.
Kuldeep Yadav, Karn Sharma, Akshar Patel, Sanju Samson, Manish Pandey, Ashish Nehra, and Dhawal Kulkarni would be especially hopeful. These are players either on the fringe of national selection or, in Nehra’s case, rumoured to be in consideration for the ICC World Cup 2015.
What this five-match ODI series gives India, then, is the opportunity to finally experiment as they have so badly wanted to in recent times. While it would seem that India is keen on finding a third spinner to partner Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, they currently have at least four options they would need to choose from: Kuldeep, Karn, Akshar, and Amit Mishra.
Likewise, the inclusion of Pandey and Samson — albeit both in the T20I squad — suggests that India are looking for another middle-order batsman as well. As for the pace bowling department, Ishant Sharma has yet to get a game since replacing Mohit Sharma in the squad, while Kulkarni and Nehra too have an outside chance of making it to India’s World Cup squad.
The squad that India selects for the Triangular series in Australia also involving England, scheduled to take place at the end of the year, will most likely be by and large the same squad India picks for the World Cup. What this five-match ODI series does is give the Indian selectors a chance to finalise on whom to take and whom to leave behind — an opportunity that they wouldn’t have got had the West Indies tour proceeded as planned.
Complete coverage of India vs West Indies 2014 here
Complete coverage on the cancellation of West Indies tour of India 2014
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek and Cricket fanatic. You can follow him on Twitter @ShiamakUnwalla)
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