India’s WC squad too dependent on bits and pieces players

Announcing the much-awaited 15-member India squad for the upcoming World Cup slated to be held in England and Wales, chief selector M.S.K. Prasad stated that the side was a “balanced one” and has all the bases covered.

Butis it so? Does picking a little-here, little-there all-rounder as the No.4batsman of a World Cup team and calling him a “three dimensional”player solve the purpose of what will be the most vital position in the battingline-up? For those unaware, last time India won the World Cup in 2011,ViratKohli was India’s No.4.

   

Movingon, if one looks carefully at the squad, they would find that the Board ofControl for Cricket in India have remained cautious in their approach and haverestrained from experimenting.

Theyhave gone with the experience of Dinesh Karthik rather than the free-spiritedRishabh Pant. Had former chief selector DilipVengsarkar show the same ‘cautionfirst’ approach, Kohli might have still been waiting to make his India debut.

AnU-19 World Cup winning captain, Kohli was immediately drafted into the Indianteam and the result is stuff folklores are made of. But then, this is where youneed experienced men at the top and not a Prasad who hasn’t played enoughinternational cricket to command the respect a Vengsarkar or SandeepPatil.

Itwas widely speculated that explosive wicket-keeper batsman Pant would certainlybe a part of the team boarding the flight to England. However, it didn’t turnout the case as the five-member selection committee went with the superiorwicket-keeping skills of Karthik and included him as the second stumper in thesquad.

Karthik’sexperience of 91 ODIs gave him the edge over the 21-year-old Pant, who has justplayed five games in the 50-over format. So what if the team needs a whirlwindknock to chase down a total in the match where Dhoni isn’t playing? Does theX-factor that Pant brings with the bat then doesn’t count?

“Well,it’s definitely a case where we have debated in length,” Prasad said whileannouncing the squad in Mumbai. “And all of, in unison, we felt thateither Rishabh Pant or DK will come into the playing XI, if Mahi is injured. Soat that juncture, if it is a crucial match like a quarterfinals or asemi-finals or an important game, wicket-keeping also matters. That’s the onlyreason we went with Dinesh Karthik. Otherwise, Rishabh Pant was almostthere.”

Butif sources in the know of developments in the meeting are to be believed, themen developed cold feet when it came to backing the exuberant youngster.

Karthikwas also part of the Indian squad during its disastrous 2007 World Cupcampaign. He, however, was not included in the squad for 2011 and the 2015editions.

The other noticeable thing in the squad is the over reliance on the top three batsmen. ViratKohli, Rohit Sharma and ShikharDhawan have scored the chunk of the runs for India in the 50-over format after the 2015 World Cup. However, if all three happen to fail, which can happen on any day, it can be a big problem for the Men in Blue considering their lack of experience lower down the order. One might argue that M.S. Dhoni will be there but you cannot expect him to fire and score at a brisk pace in each and every game.

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