So, here we are! The World Champions embark on their first mission after their crowning.
Ummm, not quite as the Indian team to the Carribean is without 8 of its WC winning team members. In this era of modern cricket, where there are more ODIs in a year than there are days in it, Team Management has become extremely important, almost like it is in Club Football- where the Manager has to prudently maintain an everready pool of 18-25 players who can play 1st team football anytime. This also breeds young players, gives them oppurtunities, allows the manager to chop and change combinations and observe the results. In doing so, when the big games come, he has more options, but also is sure of his ultimate combination, that he wouldn’t have found if he hadn’t developed the talent pool in the first place.
So here is what we can expect as regards team line up in the upcoming limited over internationals:
Shikhar Dhawan
Parthiv Patel
Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma
Suresh Raina
Subramaniam Badrinath
Yusuf Pathan
Harbhajan Singh
Ravichandran Ashwin / Ishant Sharma
Praveen Kumar
Munaf Patel
Batsmen first. It looks an excellent middle order- it is missing nothing. Good, solid openers, with an aggressive streak, a more than sound middle order and deadly finishers. Virat Kohli can play both ways, so can Sharma. Badrinath can be promoted like in IPL if early wickets fall and ball is doing a bit. Rohit Sharma is the ideal middle order batsman. He can graft well. And Raina and Pathan can be lethal finishers.
Now to the bowling. Munaf Patel is bowling the best he ever has. With his height he will be able to extract bounce and nip. Praveen Kumar can pick up early wickets and trouble the batsmen. Ashwin can bowl literally at any phase in the innings and pick up wickets- his carrom ball has been excellently developed. And vice captain Harbhajan Singh too can keep up the pressure.Yuvraj will be missed as the 5th bowling option, but that can be made up by Pathan, Raina, Sharma and Kohli. Now, to our perennial problem- death bowling. Apart from Ashwin, there isn’t anybody who can convincingly bowl at the death, although Munaf can be decent. Still, that will remain a worry area, particularly without Zak.
Fielding is excellent. Apart from the bowlers, who themselves aren’t too bad, ALL of the rest are exceptional fielders. Absolutely no worries in that department.
Even this team has its bench strength all covered. If the going gets tough behind the wickets, Wriddhiman Saha is an able keeper and no muck with the bat. If someone isn’t getting it right in the batting department, we have a very good batsman in Manoj Tiwary waiting in the wings. If variety is needed in spin department, there Amit Mishra, fresh off a hat trick in the IPL. If a pacer gets injured, or the conditions demand three-pronged pace attack, there is a rejuvenated Ishant Sharma and a clever Vinay Kumar waiting.
I expect the pitches to be low and slow, as the West Indian cricket season is towards its end. Although the expected rain can spice up things a bit. The team winning the toss should bat first.
The West Indies is a formidable outfit in limited overs, with all departments covered decently. Kemar Roach will spearhead the pace attack, with Ravi Rampaul, who has a happy knack of performing very well v/s India, his partner in crime. The young Devendra Bishoo can be vulnerable if put under pressure though. Batting is looking good too with Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo- the upcoming star. And the battery of all rounders- Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Polard and DarrenSammy can plug gaps in any department. Particular mention to Darren Bravo- he will be the one to watch, although India are well equipped with Singh and Ashwin, who will take the ball away from him, making his life very difficult.
So really, there isn’t much to complain for anybody. And no excuses as well- this team is good enough and if we get beaten, we should not lament that ‘the senior guys were missing’
Ummm, not quite as the Indian team to the Carribean is without 8 of its WC winning team members. In this era of modern cricket, where there are more ODIs in a year than there are days in it, Team Management has become extremely important, almost like it is in Club Football- where the Manager has to prudently maintain an everready pool of 18-25 players who can play 1st team football anytime. This also breeds young players, gives them oppurtunities, allows the manager to chop and change combinations and observe the results. In doing so, when the big games come, he has more options, but also is sure of his ultimate combination, that he wouldn’t have found if he hadn’t developed the talent pool in the first place.
So here is what we can expect as regards team line up in the upcoming limited over internationals:
Shikhar Dhawan
Parthiv Patel
Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma
Suresh Raina
Subramaniam Badrinath
Yusuf Pathan
Harbhajan Singh
Ravichandran Ashwin / Ishant Sharma
Praveen Kumar
Munaf Patel
Batsmen first. It looks an excellent middle order- it is missing nothing. Good, solid openers, with an aggressive streak, a more than sound middle order and deadly finishers. Virat Kohli can play both ways, so can Sharma. Badrinath can be promoted like in IPL if early wickets fall and ball is doing a bit. Rohit Sharma is the ideal middle order batsman. He can graft well. And Raina and Pathan can be lethal finishers.
Now to the bowling. Munaf Patel is bowling the best he ever has. With his height he will be able to extract bounce and nip. Praveen Kumar can pick up early wickets and trouble the batsmen. Ashwin can bowl literally at any phase in the innings and pick up wickets- his carrom ball has been excellently developed. And vice captain Harbhajan Singh too can keep up the pressure.Yuvraj will be missed as the 5th bowling option, but that can be made up by Pathan, Raina, Sharma and Kohli. Now, to our perennial problem- death bowling. Apart from Ashwin, there isn’t anybody who can convincingly bowl at the death, although Munaf can be decent. Still, that will remain a worry area, particularly without Zak.
Fielding is excellent. Apart from the bowlers, who themselves aren’t too bad, ALL of the rest are exceptional fielders. Absolutely no worries in that department.
Even this team has its bench strength all covered. If the going gets tough behind the wickets, Wriddhiman Saha is an able keeper and no muck with the bat. If someone isn’t getting it right in the batting department, we have a very good batsman in Manoj Tiwary waiting in the wings. If variety is needed in spin department, there Amit Mishra, fresh off a hat trick in the IPL. If a pacer gets injured, or the conditions demand three-pronged pace attack, there is a rejuvenated Ishant Sharma and a clever Vinay Kumar waiting.
I expect the pitches to be low and slow, as the West Indian cricket season is towards its end. Although the expected rain can spice up things a bit. The team winning the toss should bat first.
The West Indies is a formidable outfit in limited overs, with all departments covered decently. Kemar Roach will spearhead the pace attack, with Ravi Rampaul, who has a happy knack of performing very well v/s India, his partner in crime. The young Devendra Bishoo can be vulnerable if put under pressure though. Batting is looking good too with Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo- the upcoming star. And the battery of all rounders- Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Polard and DarrenSammy can plug gaps in any department. Particular mention to Darren Bravo- he will be the one to watch, although India are well equipped with Singh and Ashwin, who will take the ball away from him, making his life very difficult.
So really, there isn’t much to complain for anybody. And no excuses as well- this team is good enough and if we get beaten, we should not lament that ‘the senior guys were missing’
