Hit by injuries to some key players, and given the dodgy form of a few others, India’s selectors and team management will have to rely on the IPL to resolve crucial selection issues for the World Test Championship final against Australia.
With the IPL finishing only on May 28, there is little opportunity for red-ball cricket, except perhaps a couple of warm-up matches before the ‘Big Clash’ at Oval in London, June 7-11.
That’s as good (or bad) as in 2021 when India went into the inaugural WTC final against New Zealand right after the IPL with paltry time for acclimatisation and match practice. And suffered for that!
Obviously, the same handicap applies to Australia too. But the Aussies have fewer problems in finding depth and balance in their squad.
Cummins, the world’s top fast bowler, who missed a couple of Tests against India last month because of his mother’s ill-health will be back as spearhead. Hazlewood, the epitome of nagging control and penetrative seam bowling, has recovered from injury. Mercurial Starc was hugely impressive in the ODIs with his searing speed and swing.
These three make a seriously threatening pace trio. Add gangly Cameron Green, who delivers fast-medium from disconcertingly steep height, and further add classy off-spinner Nathan Lyon who had a fantastic series in India, you get a potent attack, rich in calibre, experience and variety.
{{/usCountry}}These three make a seriously threatening pace trio. Add gangly Cameron Green, who delivers fast-medium from disconcertingly steep height, and further add classy off-spinner Nathan Lyon who had a fantastic series in India, you get a potent attack, rich in calibre, experience and variety.
{{/usCountry}}The slump in Warner’s form in the past few months is a source of worry, of course, but offset to a large extent by the flow of runs from the bats of Smith and Labuschagne, and even more so of Usman Khawaja, Travis Head and Green.
Warner’s vast international experience should see him retain his place and the Australian side for the final, as it appears now, should read: Warner, Khawaja, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Green, Carey, Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon. Smith, Labuschagne and Head also capable of providing some spin support.
It’s a formidable side with all boxes ticked. In contrast, India look vulnerable. This might not be evident from the centrally contracted players list released last week. But some stellar names are accompanied with asterisks which in the context of the WTC throws up problems.
The availability of Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant, in long-term rehab after suffering injury and consequent surgeries, is remote; if at all. A question mark also hangs over Shreyas Iyer who got injured in the home series against Australia. Three important players missing are three too many.
The absence of Bumrah and Pant in particular will be a relief to the Aussies. Both are strong matchwinners with excellent Test records against Australia as well as playing in England.
Fortunately, losing such vital players is mitigated to some extent by the richness and depth of talent available in Indian cricket currently. In fact, there are multiple options available for each of the injured mentioned among those centrally contracted or outside that orbit.
That said, places available (middle-order batsman, wicket-keeper-batsman, pace bowler) for the WTC final (squad/playing XI) will be earned – or lost – by the form shown in the IPL.
Iyer’s injury and Surya Yadav’s struggles in longer formats are no panacea for beleaguered K L Rahul who will have to salvage his situation with high scores in the IPL. Youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan who scored runs by the ton in domestic red-ball tournaments, and veteran Ajinkya Rahane, none contracted by the BCCI, are outliers for a place in the middle order depending on how they fare in the IPL.
K S Bharat is the frontrunner for keeping wickets, but remember, Ishan Kishan was part of the Test squad in the home series and some leading former players have suggested Rahul be also be given the task. If Sanju Samson, rediscovered by the BCCI and handed a central contract, has a blazing IPL season, the competition intensifies manifold.
The situation’s less vexing in the bowling. Shami has assumed the spearhead’s role in Bumrah’s absence with aplomb. Rapidly improving Mohamed Siraj and always reliable Umesh Yadav have been splendid in support. These three should make up the pace faction in the squad for England.
Whether Shardul Thakur, in and out of the Test squad, makes the cut depends on his performance this IPL as well as that of promising left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh.
What gives Indian cricket enormous heft currently is the plethora of world-class all-rounders in Jadeja, Ashwin, Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya. The monumental body of work of Ashwin and Jadeja defines their virtuosity and value to the team. Patel, originally seen as a white-ball resource, has shown a strong competitive streak and made an impact in Test cricket too.
For the WTC final, however, a fit Pandya would be a godsend. Apart from superb batting and brilliant fielding, as a skillful fast-medium bowler, Pandya would give enormous balance and depth to the side.
India are unlikely to play 3 spinners as they did at home. Indeed, in English conditions, three pace bowlers become imperative so if Pandya is fit and ready to take on the bowling load of possibly 18-20 overs in an innings, India can play three fast bowlers and two spinners without compromising a whit in the batting.
I’ve juxtaposed the WTC final with the IPL here, not to take away the sheen of the hugely popular T20 league, but to give Test cricket the primacy it needs. The IPL has its own distinct and unassailable universe, the ODI World Cup to be played in India this year promises to be an enthralling tournament too. But it is winning the WTC title that will establish India as the best world’s best cricketing nation.