Published: Jul 16, 2011, 04:55 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 21, 2014, 07:53 PM (IST)
By Nishad Pai Vaidya
A problem is not always bad, sometimes it just tests your thinking and gets the best out of you. Sometimes a problem is just confusion, choosing between two equally good options is never easy. Selection dilemma is one such problem, which the Indian team management has one on its hands. They have an abundant pool of good fast bowlers to choose from for the Test matches in England. With so many options before him, Mahendra Singh Dhoni must be feeling lucky – although a bit confused. He has to choose the right combination, keeping in mind the fact that his fast bowlers would be the key for India’s success in England.
In all likelihood, India will play four bowlers i.e. three fast bowlers and a spinner. It is a well known fact that fast bowlers thrive on English conditions, which is why India have to play three rather than two fast bowlers in their playing eleven.
The lone spinner in the line-up would be Harbhajan Singh. Although the off-spinner hasn’t been at his wicket-taking best for a while, his reputation and the stature of being a senior player books his place in the playing eleven. It is due to this reason and the fact that three fast bowlers would be played, Amit Mishra would have to wait for his opportunities.
The fast bowlers who are a part of the 17-man squad for India are as follows: Zaheer Khan, S Sreesanth, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel. Three of them, namely Zaheer, Sreesanth and Praveen, rely on swing. Munaf and Ishant are mainly seam bowlers who get good movement off the seam on their day. Ideally the break-up of the three fast bowlers should be as follows: two swing bowlers and a seam bowler (for the purpose of this article, this term refers to the bowler whose strength is seam movement).
Zaheer is an automatic choice in the eleven. The last time India toured England, he bowled crucial spells at Nottingham to secure a win. He picked up 18 wickets in the three Tests at an average of 20.33. His performance not only helped India to a 1-0 series but also got him the Man of the Series award.
The Zaheer factor would be even more crucial this time around. During the course of the last four years he has been very consistent and this has made him absolutely indispensable to India’s plans. The Zaheer-Strauss battle would be one of the biggest factors in this series. The last time, Zaheer subjected Strauss to copious trouble. He induced him into playing lazy shots which cost the English opener his wicket on quite a few occasions. Strauss is struggling for form this time around as well, but his 78 in the practice game for Somersetagainst the Indians is most welcome for the English point of view.
The second fast bowler’s spot would go to Ishant Sharma. The gangling paceman was magnificent in the Caribbean Test series and bagged the Man of the Series. The good news for India is that he has regained his lost pace. He now bowls consistently around the 140 kmph mark. He was also able to effect subtle movements of the seam which acts as a lethal combination coupled with his pace. Ishant should be the seam bowler in the line-up as his confidence is sky high and his pace would be threatening.
The toss-up for the second swing bowler would be between Praveen and Sreesanth. Praveen was fantastic in the West Indies as he could swing the ball a mile. MS Dhoni would be tempted to play him in swing-friendly conditions in England, but his lack of pace is a factor that may go against his selection. Sreesanth, too, has the ability to move the ball, but can be a touch expensive at times. However, he is fast and if can swing the ball at a good pace, the batsmen may have problems against him. The best aspect of his bowling is his seam position. The release is so smooth and the seam comes out so beautifully that it maintains its position till it pitches. His main strength is the out-swinger to the right hander.
The perception about Sreesanth being expensive originates from his performances in ODIs. He goes for runs because he bowls on a good length mainly outside the off stump. In ODIs, batsmen look to play such deliveries through third man or point. However, a similar line in Tests would go through to the wicket-keeper on most occasions. Thus, it may be worth the risk to play Sreesanth instead of Praveen mainly because of his pace and wicket-taking ability.
That leaves us with Munaf Patel, who has been good in ODIs, but his performance in the Test match at Dominica wasn’t encouraging. Recuperating from an elbow injury, he didn’t look in good touch and struggled to create an impact. The Dominica Test was his first in two years and his performance may have been under par due to injury. With Zaheer and Sreesanth coming back and Praveen and Ishant doing well in the Caribbean, his chances of playing in the Test series look bleak.
The mind games, the hype etc have all begun as India’s campaign in England got under way at Taunton. There are a few selection dilemmas for Dhoni especially in the fast bowling department. The Zaheer-Ishant-Sreesanth trio should be the ideal combination but Praveen has put his hand up with a good show in the Caribbean. Would anybody like to be in Dhoni’s shoes to take this call?
(Nishad Pai Vaidya, a 20-year-old law student, is a club and college-level cricketer. His teachers always complain, “He knows the stats and facts of cricket more than the subjects we teach him.”)
