The limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka beginning on July 27 was supposed to cast the net wider and scout the fringes. Instead with new head coach Gautam Gambhir coming in, India have set the ball rolling with a focussed eye on the future with their role-specific selections.
Apart from Suryakumar Yadav taking over the reins of the T20I team ahead of Hardik Pandya, there were quite a few inclusions and exclusions from the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee which show which way the team is heading in the next three years.
No Suryakumar and Hardik in ODIs
In last year’s 50-over World Cup, the only player who struggled to make an impression was Suryakumar Yadav. In the 37 matches in the format, he averages just 25.76 with his ability to pace the innings in ODIs being a big cause for concern. And with just 6 ODIs remaining ahead of the Champions Trophy to be hosted by Pakistan, selectors have dropped him from the squad and are now looking at other options, especially those who can bowl as it would lend them depth.
Like Suryakumar, the other one who misses out is Pandya. India don’t have another readymade seam bowling all-rounder in his place, but given the immediate focus – Champions Trophy – is in the sub-continent, they are looking at Axar Patel and Washington Sundar to fit in the bowling all-rounder’s role. But word around is that Nitish Reddy, who impressed in the IPL, is being looked at as a potential seam-bowling all-rounder. It is understood that the doors are not shut on Pandya, but he has to prove in domestic circuit that he can bowl 10 overs consistently.
Gill is the new deputy
In both T20Is and ODIs, Shubman Gill has been elevated to vice-captain which suggests India are looking to groom him for the captaincy role. In the past, India have flirted with Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Jasprit Burmah as alternate captains, but it is the first time they have moved to the next generation of youngsters. While Gill’s place in the ODI squad is cemented, the same cannot be said in T20Is.
During the recent tour of Zimbabwe, which Gill captained and had three other openers in the XI, his intent was under scrutiny. Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal all had better strike-rates and played aggressive cricket. So Gill has plenty of catching up to do in the T20Is or risk losing his spot going forward. But given his talent, the selectors believe it is worth giving Gill the time to develop as a T20 batsman. Persisting with Gill means there is no place for Abhishek and Gaikwad in the squad – two contrasting openers, who seem to be back-up options at the moment.
End of Jadeja?
Having already retired from T20Is, Jadeja’s time in the ODIs could also be up, especially given Axar Patel’s versatility in white-ball cricket. Axar has shown in the limited opportunities that he is ahead of Jadeja with the bat and ball in white-ball cricket with captain Rohit Sharma even showing faith to promote him up the order. And given India’s propensity to use left-handers as floaters, Axar fits the bill perfectly as he can be used to take care of the match-ups.
Like Rohit, even Gambhir is known to rely extensively on data and Axar is more tempting in white-ball cricket. That Washington Sundar is also coming through, means India have different options to work with in white-ball cricket as it gives the captain and coach more flexibility with both bat and ball.
The leap of faith
Role clarity is something Gambhir has been insisting on for a while not just as a coach but also as a commentator. It is an aspect that the current bunch of selectors have made non-negotiable as shown in the T20 World Cup squad selection. Keeping in line with tradition, they have included Riyan Parag in the side, who is used to batting at No 5 in domestic cricket. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Parag has been amongst the most consistent performers in the last couple of seasons, showing his ability to pace his innings without altering his game.
Be it consolidating or making up for early loss of wickets, Parag is used to that adaptable role and India believe he has to be groomed for that lower-order slot as he can also contribute with the ball. In many ways, with most of the fringe players being top-order, Parag, a natural No 5, has climbed in the pecking order.
Changing the attack combo
When Gambhir was part of the Lucknow Super Giants set-up, one of his first signings was Ravi Bishnoi. He may not be the biggest turner of the ball, but Bishnoi has shown enough evidence of why he is a talent to be invested in, especially in T20s. He was unlucky to miss out on the T20 World Cup spot, but Bishnoi will have a big role to play particularly with the next edition set to be played in India and Sri Lanka. He will be the challenger to Kuldeep Yadav, whose place is sealed across formats.
In the pace department, the inclusion of Khaleel Ahmed and Harshit Rana means the selectors want to groom the next in line. Both Ahmed and Rana had impressive outings in the IPL. With Arshdeep Singh around, Ahmed can be the back-up left-arm seamer and Rana’s pace will always be handy.
