As the Indian team gets ready for the first match of the tri-series against Australia, on Sunday, Indian captain MS Dhoni is busy figuring out the perfect combination – whether to bring on six batsmen with five bowlers, or seven batsmen with four bowlers in the playing XI.
At a time when the much-berated and comparatively weak bowling department remains a concern, the management may be tempted to fall back on a five-bowler and six-batsman combination – to safeguard India’s chances of winning.
By adopting this strategy, Dhoni could create a slot for an all-rounder along with two spinners and pacers. With the advent of T20 cricket, the all-round factor has become very crucial for all teams and India are no different.
So, if the team management goes ahead with three pacers and two spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel, the team won’t bat deep like the other two teams in the competition – that is the hosts Australia, and co-visitors England.
To compensate that, an all-rounder like Stuart Binny might play a big role in the competition as he is an extra option of someone who can bat in the lower-middle order and also bowl medium pace. Another advantage for India is that the above mentioned two spinners, who are available for immediate selection for Sunday’s match against the Aussies, can also bat.
Sources say that the team is ready to experiment and rotate its bowlers in this tournament. This is to ensure that the team has a fair idea about its bowlers – who are better suited for Indian conditions.
Sounds bizarre, but that also means if a batsman like Shikhar Dhawan fails to make it count, Ambati Rayudu could also come into the picture as India have the luxury of having Ajinkya Rahane, who can also open the innings with Rohit Sharma.
This would then open the door for Ambati Rayudu, the seventh batsmen in the 15-member squad. Indications are that No. 7 slot could be a pace all-rounder or a spin all-rounder – now let’s wait and see how this cookie crumbles!
