India won the 2011 World Cup at home with
practically no bowling attack. Can they
retain it, in Australia at that, with a ragged,
tired fast bowling attack and ineffectual or
untested spinners?
On the day when Australia hacked the Indian
bowling in the first innings of the Test in
Sydney, the selectors announced the 15-member
squad for the World Cup. It contained no
real surprises. All 15 players were picked up
from the list of the 30 probables announced
last month. This meant that the
door continued to remain shut on
five prominent members of the
2011 World Cup-winning team. Of
them, Yuvraj Singh had made a
case for a recall, with three centuries
in the Ranji Trophy, and his
name indeed came up at the selection
meeting. But the selectors continued
to prefer bowling allrounder
Ravindra Jadeja over the batting
allrounder Yuvraj.
The four pace bowlers – Bhuvneshwar
Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant
Sharma and Umesh Yadav – have been part of
India’s squad in the ongoing Test series
against Australia. They’ve not had much success.
Yadav and Shami have picked up 10
wickets each, but at a cost of over 45 runs a
wicket; Ishant has nine wickets at an average
of 48.22. Bhuvneshwar, playing his first match
of the series in Sydney, bowled some of his
deliveries at less than 120 kmph today. The
specialist spinner in the World Cup squad,
Ravichandran Ashwin, has taken eight wickets
at 53.12 in the Test series so far.
While wickets will be easier to get in the
One-day format, it’s clear that this bowling
attack is not going to run through the opposition
in the World Cup, not in Australia and
New Zealand for sure. Thus, it’s the batsmen
who must win the World Cup for India, as they
did in 2011 with a good deal of help from
Yuvraj, who played a useful role as a spinner
on the home wickets. Among the openers,
Rohit Sharma has been doing well in One-day
cricket, and Shikhar Dhawan brings in a daredevilry
to the crease. Both are, however, suspect
when the ball is seaming or bouncing
awkwardly. Ajinkya Rahane, who is more
assured in his technique, could step in as an
opener when required. Perhaps it would have
been a good idea to pick up Murali Vijay in the
squad, given his excellent form in
the Test series.
In the top order, Virat Kohli and
Rahane are proven performers. The
next two, however, don’t inspire
much confidence in conditions difficult
for batting – Suresh Raina and
Ambati Rayudu can belt the ball
hard, but can they do it on the bouncy
tracks of Australia, in large
grounds? Raina averages 26 in ODI
cricket in Australia, Rayudu is yet to
play a match in that country.
MS Dhoni, India’s best finisher ever in
ODIs – and arguably India’s best One-day
batsman ever – would bring in calmness and
a whirl batting at the lower middle order.
ODI cricket is his natural habitat, and that’s
where he can hope to overcome India’s
bowling weakness with his and his team’s
batting power.
After him comes Jadeja, a giant of a batsman
in domestic cricket but a bowling allrounder
at the international level. He could
play a few handy innings, though it is tough to
picture him, or Stuary Binny, winning matches
on his own in Australia. Will this squad hold
the World Cup trophy on March 29? We can
only hope.
practically no bowling attack. Can they
retain it, in Australia at that, with a ragged,
tired fast bowling attack and ineffectual or
untested spinners?
On the day when Australia hacked the Indian
bowling in the first innings of the Test in
Sydney, the selectors announced the 15-member
squad for the World Cup. It contained no
real surprises. All 15 players were picked up
from the list of the 30 probables announced
last month. This meant that the
door continued to remain shut on
five prominent members of the
2011 World Cup-winning team. Of
them, Yuvraj Singh had made a
case for a recall, with three centuries
in the Ranji Trophy, and his
name indeed came up at the selection
meeting. But the selectors continued
to prefer bowling allrounder
Ravindra Jadeja over the batting
allrounder Yuvraj.
The four pace bowlers – Bhuvneshwar
Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant
Sharma and Umesh Yadav – have been part of
India’s squad in the ongoing Test series
against Australia. They’ve not had much success.
Yadav and Shami have picked up 10
wickets each, but at a cost of over 45 runs a
wicket; Ishant has nine wickets at an average
of 48.22. Bhuvneshwar, playing his first match
of the series in Sydney, bowled some of his
deliveries at less than 120 kmph today. The
specialist spinner in the World Cup squad,
Ravichandran Ashwin, has taken eight wickets
at 53.12 in the Test series so far.
While wickets will be easier to get in the
One-day format, it’s clear that this bowling
attack is not going to run through the opposition
in the World Cup, not in Australia and
New Zealand for sure. Thus, it’s the batsmen
who must win the World Cup for India, as they
did in 2011 with a good deal of help from
Yuvraj, who played a useful role as a spinner
on the home wickets. Among the openers,
Rohit Sharma has been doing well in One-day
cricket, and Shikhar Dhawan brings in a daredevilry
to the crease. Both are, however, suspect
when the ball is seaming or bouncing
awkwardly. Ajinkya Rahane, who is more
assured in his technique, could step in as an
opener when required. Perhaps it would have
been a good idea to pick up Murali Vijay in the
squad, given his excellent form in
the Test series.
In the top order, Virat Kohli and
Rahane are proven performers. The
next two, however, don’t inspire
much confidence in conditions difficult
for batting – Suresh Raina and
Ambati Rayudu can belt the ball
hard, but can they do it on the bouncy
tracks of Australia, in large
grounds? Raina averages 26 in ODI
cricket in Australia, Rayudu is yet to
play a match in that country.
MS Dhoni, India’s best finisher ever in
ODIs – and arguably India’s best One-day
batsman ever – would bring in calmness and
a whirl batting at the lower middle order.
ODI cricket is his natural habitat, and that’s
where he can hope to overcome India’s
bowling weakness with his and his team’s
batting power.
After him comes Jadeja, a giant of a batsman
in domestic cricket but a bowling allrounder
at the international level. He could
play a few handy innings, though it is tough to
picture him, or Stuary Binny, winning matches
on his own in Australia. Will this squad hold
the World Cup trophy on March 29? We can
only hope.
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