Team India squad for the Australian tour - has they got it Right?

BCCI Selectors announces India’s squad to the Tour Down Under –2020/21

 

“Third Man” is back after a week to discuss and introspect the squad announced for the upcoming full tour to Australia commencing 27^th November and closing out on 15^th January, a grueling 3 months tour comprising of four Tests ,three ODI’s and three T20’s. Overall it looks a well-balanced strong squad on paper to take on the mighty Australians at their home territory, with Rohit Sharma conspicuous by his absence from all the forms of the game, considering his status as a indispensable player in the India Team over the last few years.

 

“Hit”Man out of Down under for all three formats – What’s happening BCCI?

 

Well, I can read your mind and the most of us will be baffled by the confusion surrounding Rohit, being the Vice-Captain of the limited overs team, dropped from the full tour due to a hamstring injury picked up during this IPL and missing 2 games already. It would have served better had BCCI released a clear statement on the extent of the injury and recovery time to clear the doubts from the ardent fans following Team India. It is strange to see Rohit padded up and gearing for a practice session for the IPL, while BCCI already ruling him out of a future tour. The ideal situation could be including him in the squad, monitoring his progress and name a replacement if he is not declared fit. If he is seriously injured, Mumbai Indians should have ruled him out of rest of the IPL matches in the larger interest of his Team India Career – With lot of money at stake, is BCCI unable to convince the franchise to release Rohit on fitness grounds?

 

 

Royal Challenger’s Tour to Australia?– Is the Captain just has a say in Team selection or the Captain selects the team?

Though not questioning the caliber of players chosen, the squad looks heavily loaded with players from RCB raising questions on the influence of the captain and favoritism towards players from one franchise to represent India captained by the skipper of the Franchise. While the likes of Chahal, Sundar, Saini, Umesh Yadav are quality players to represent India, the same cannot be said of Siraj – He did not set the world alight in his previous stints for Team India and barring one outstanding spell in this IPL, he has been quite ordinary. Spare a thought for players like Surya Kumar Yadav, who has been plundering runs at an enormous strike rate for the last 3 seasons for the Mumbai Indians – What has he done wrong to be ignored?

The bigger question is selecting players for Test matches based on IPL performances which will set wrong precedents for the domestic players who are sweating it out at the Ranji trophy, as rightly questioned by the cricket turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar. My take is on the same lines – IPL performances can be a yardstick only to select players for International T20 Matches only.

 

Young guns getting a go for the big Australia Series – Applause to the selectors

With the regular members of India Test & ODI team being automatic picks, it is a commendable to see the likes of Varun Chakravarthy, Mayank ( for all three formats), Sundar and the deserving Samson getting changes in the T20 squads based on current form and it will be a greater learning curve to bowl and bat on the bigger Australian grounds as well as the quicker pitches which will have something for the bowlers all the way. Waking up at 5.00 AM IST to see the contest between bat and the ball, the opening session at Gabba Brisbane with swing and seam, the bounce at MCG- Melbourne, Pace and carry for the bowlers and the dimensions and the challenge of the wind called “ free mantle doctor” at WACA Perth, the spinners paradise at Adelaide oval – A cracker of the series is on the cards between two of the greatest cricketing rivalries of the decade.

 

The vice-Captain saga

With the dumping of Rohit Sharma and the sudden elevation for KL Rahul by handing over the Vice captaincy reins for the ODI & T20 series, the Selectors has added fuel to the Rohit Vs Kohli controversy which has been going on since the ODI world cup. Imagine a situation if Rohit recovers and wins a place back into the Team, how hard it will be for his captaincy aspirations as he has done nothing wrong for the little time he has captained India and has been extremely good leader leading Mumbai Indians to multiple titles.

While KL Rahul has been duly rewarded for a place in limited over teams by his scintillating show at this IPL, once again the T20 Performances leading to Test selection crops up – He was fairly unsuccessful as an opener in the previous three test tours and eventually dropped for the home series against the Windies & Kiwis, where Rohit took up the challenge as the opener and made merry making centuries and double centuries cementing his place in the Test side. Hope KL can prove us wrong and put up a remarkable show as a test opener as he has done in his debut century in the same Australian soil years back.

 

Let’s have some fun –Shocking omissions -  Players unlucky to miss the bus to Australia Tour

Having discussed on a series note on some of the selection condrums, would like to finish with some fun on the players who are missing from the squad announced.

Kedar Jadav, who was trolled day and night for his “test Match” batting in this IPL for CSK, couldn’t win a place in the Test squad? BCCI, What have you done?

An International full tour without MSD – It took some time to realize that Dhoni is a former India Cricketer, something we fans could not get into terms yet.

ABD missing out – Kohli , You were so loyal to the “ Royal” Challengers by picking most of them ,How could you afford to drop ABD, your best buddy?

 

Thumps up for the Men in Blue for the Tour Down Under – Time to Bleed Blue