NORTH SOUND (ANTIGUA): With Virat Kohli as India captain, reading between the lines probably got a little easier. He has walked the talk so far with the kind of combinations he wants to field, but Thursday’s team selection process was possibly a tougher day in office than the ones he has had in his short tenure.
There were a few close calls but Kohli’s penchant for specialists has resulted in India fielding a team that should be a Test template on a neutral pitch --- two openers, three middle-order batsmen, wicket-keeper, three pacers, a leg-spinner and an off-spinner.
The temptation to veer off this template is easy with the kind of resource pool India have. Allrounder Stuart Binny has always been around. More than his knack of getting breakthroughs, the ability to get quick runs along with being a good fielder makes Binny a utility player.
It is the same with Ravindra Jadeja. He isn’t an outstanding batsman or finger spinner, but like Binny he is basically a standby seventh batsman in case the six before him fail on a turning wicket. Unlike MS Dhoni, Kohli is willing to take that risk. He has showed the will to go for quality over quantity even if it means at times a match that could be drawn might be lost due to a long tail. And his reasoning is pretty solid too.
“As captain you want your prime bowler to bowl only 10 overs, but he should be able to take wickets and create pressure. If the part timer bowls five overs and gives 30 runs, the pressure will go. We have to bowl stump lines and wicket-takers will be effective for us. We want to start the series on a positive note even if we have a batsman short,” Kohli said on Wednesday.
{{/usCountry}}“As captain you want your prime bowler to bowl only 10 overs, but he should be able to take wickets and create pressure. If the part timer bowls five overs and gives 30 runs, the pressure will go. We have to bowl stump lines and wicket-takers will be effective for us. We want to start the series on a positive note even if we have a batsman short,” Kohli said on Wednesday.
{{/usCountry}}Another sure inclusion was Shikhar Dhawan over KL Rahul. Rahul may be younger, fitter and looks an evolved batsman after this year’s IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore. But Kohli has made it clear he is willing to give Dhawan a long rope.
PACE COUNTS
Shami’s comeback was waiting to happen after a long injury layoff. With him around, West Indies can’t afford to drop their guard. “He is a gun bowler, the areas he hits is what you need in Test cricket, the attacking lengths; and he has the ability to get batsmen out at any stage of the game which is very pleasing in Test cricket and important for a captain,” Kohli had said.
A mixed bag though is the rest of the bowling attack chosen for this Test. There is no doubt R Ashwin and Amit Mishra are India’s two best spinners, but by picking Umesh Yadav, Kohli has indicated he is ready to risk a few runs for the sake of raw pace. This Antigua pitch could help spinners later, but it’s clear Kohli wants to give his bowling quiver every arrow possible — pace, swing, probing length and line, as well as spin.