With World Cup in focus, India eye specific slots
The ODI series gives the Indian team management a great opportunity to assess players who will fit into their World Cup plans
The last time India lost a bilateral series to the West Indies was way back in 2006. That WI batting line-up included Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Dwayne Bravo, Wavell Hinds, Dwayne Smith -- some serious batting chops and the result didn't really surprise anyone.
However, India's domination after that, given West Indies' continuing decline, doesn't raise eyebrows either. In fact, one might say that it puts the onus on Rohit Sharma's side to make something of it by setting the right goals ahead of the three-match ODI series which begins today in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The Test series, even with the emergence of Yashasvi Jaiswal, was a dull, predictable affair. The stakes for the ODIs, though, are different given that the World Cup is around the corner.
The series presents a chance for some of the cricketers to once again remind the selectors and the team management of all that they bring to the table. Prime among the borderline picks is Suryakumar Yadav. The world’s top T20I batter hasn’t quite found his groove in ODIs... yet. But with KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer now in the final stages of their rehabilitation, the pressure on the Mumbai batter will increase.
Over the last four years, Rahul has averaged 49.30 in 31 ODIs. Iyer, who has been playing ODIs since 2017, has also put up some good numbers (avg of 47.36 in 36 ODIs) in the same time frame. They are proven performers and if they can demonstrate their fitness and form in the coming days, it will be hard to keep them out of the playing XI.
If Surya wants to put his hand up and show that he can be a viable option, then he needs to start doing it now. In the 23 ODIs he has played since making his debut in July 2021, he has averaged just 24.05. The numbers don't quite do justice to his talent, but the final call must be taken on their basis.
Surya isn't the only cricketer whom Rahul’s presence will put pressure on. Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson can be a gamechanger on his day, but the lack of consistency often comes back to haunt him. He made his ODI debut in 2021 but has only played 11 matches for the country. Earlier, he needed to take a backseat to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, then to Rishabh Pant and now to Rahul. If he gets a game, he must show there is more to him than the odd breathtaking shot.
Bowling queries
The ODI World Cup will be about bowlers as much as it will be about batters. With an uber-aggressive approach being adopted by many teams, the only way to slow down the run-rate will be to take wickets.
With that in mind, it becomes imperative for India's second spinner to be an aggressive one. The left-arm wrist spin of Kuldeep Yadav and the right-arm leg-spin of Yuzvendra Chahal fit the bill but there might only be space for one in the World Cup squad. So, who will it be?
Chahal had a fine IPL (21 wickets, 5th best in the league) and he will be keen to build on that. But Kuldeep (10 wickets, 30th best in the league, with a better economy), can sometimes be unreadable. It will be an interesting battle -- one both will know can push them towards a place in India's squad for a home World Cup.
There is another middle overs wicket-taking option India can turn to. This option has no mystery about it. Rather he telegraphs that he will come after you with pace. Umran Malik had a rather poor IPL but when he gets it right, he can change the game rather quickly.
Finally, India will need to make sure that Hardik Pandya is fit and capable of putting in the hard yards as a bowler too. The breaks, given that he isn't playing Tests, undoubtedly allow him to work on his fitness but only in the heat of battle can one truly discern his true level.
