Seeking ODI high in season of Tests

For all the debate about Test cricket losing its appeal, there’s something about it that the great players prefer to channel all their energies for the more gruelling

For all the debate about Test cricket losing its appeal, there’s something about it that the great players prefer to channel all their energies for the more gruelling form of the game. After a point in their careers, Sachin Tendulkar, the most successful ODI batsman of all-time, and bowling legend Shane Warne, were among those who lost the appetite for the 50-over game and decided to focus on the longest format.

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R Ashwin and Mohammed Shami, two of India’s best bowlers, have been rested for the one-day series against New Zealand, which underlines where the team’s and the duo’s priorities lie.

Like Tendulkar was, they will be ready for the big ODI tournaments but the bilateral series may not hold much appeal for these strike bowlers.

Limited-overs skipper MS Dhoni will also be without Ravindra Jadeja for the first three games. The troika had wreaked havoc among the Kiwi ranks, helping India to a clean sweep in the Tests.

The decision to go without their frontline bowlers will work both ways for the home team. While India will be ceding the psychological advantage gained over the Kiwi batsmen, the think-tank are looking at the larger picture of keeping their bowlers fresh for the long season ahead. Equally importantly, it will be an opportunity for the coaches and selectors to ready their back-up attack.

While India’s batting is loaded with quality and experience for all formats, the same cannot be said about bowling. At the moment, it is heavily reliant on Ashwin and Shami.

Hence, off-spinner Jayant Yadav’s performance in the one-day series will be keenly watched.

Till now, Harbhajan Singh was seen as a readymade back-up for Ashwin, but the team management will be keen to have younger talent at its disposal. Yadav has got a look-in largely due to his performances for India A in Australia.

Apart from the Haryana offie, at Dhoni’s disposal in the spin attack will be leggie Amit Mishra and left-armer Axar Patel.

DHONI UNDER PRESSURE

The success of Virat Kohli also increases Dhoni’s challenge. Like in batting where living up to the legacy of the Fab Five was seen as a huge challenge, succeeding Dhoni, the most successful Indian captain, was expected to be a tough task. But Kohli has caught the imagination of the cricket world with his leadership, giving a new flavour to captaincy - dynamic and aggressive, and openly challenging the opposition to play better cricket than his team.

Dhoni’s best years were till the 2011 World Cup, when he showed a natural instinct to take the right calls in decisive situations, keeping a calm head under pressure. At the start of this year, there were glimpses of his fine cricketing acumen on show, and it showed in the games in Australia and Bangladesh, and then at the T20 World Cup. One striking difference was in the way he handled Ashwin and Kohli has. Though we are talking about different formats, Ashwin is clearly bowling with much more confidence under Kohli. It will be interesting to see if Dhoni can again inspire his troops like in his hey days.

After Kohli led the whitewash in Tests, the ODIs won’t be just about winning, but winning in style.