India-australia Odi Series: The Race to World No. One

I hereby declare that I am not a guru, a commentator or at least an ex-cricketer, who are usually the officially appointed analysts of the game. My qualifications rival that of any average guy, one who follows the game with passion, and more importantly, has an opinion on just about everything related to the 22 yards and the mad caper around it. But I am writing this article and the rest are not, and that, perhaps, is my forte. Getting to the meat of the matter, I am about to propose a winning strategy for team India against their formidable opponents from Down Under. A number of analysts are already working on it, and I hope this contribution finds acceptance.

The seven match ODI series between India and Australia has already been in the news due to verbal volleys from both sides, each trying to get on the other’s nerves. Of late, the Indo-Aussie rivalry has overshadowed respective neighborhood rivalries with Pakistan and New Zealand, with some memorable, albeit controversial games being played over recent years. This series is all the more important, as both teams can stake claim to the world no. 1 spot in the ICC cricket rankings. The Team India squad has been announced for the first two ODIs, at Vadodara and Napgur. A notable omission from the squad was former skipper, Rahul Dravid, who was recalled for the Champions Trophy from which India beat a hasty retreat. I am a great fan of Dravid, but somehow, this decision doesn’t surprise me. The man has always given a 100% for the country, but unfortunately, the current motto is flamboyance, and not consistency. It was always going to be difficult to stave off the effect of the return of twin dynamos, Virendar Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh, whose absence in the Champions Trophy was to be offset by the presence of Dravid. Job done, the man has been dumped. May not be fair, but it was expected. Moving on to the ideal team for the first ODI, this is how it should be in my opinion:

Virendar Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni,Virat Kohli, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra/Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra.

The two certain omissions have to be Ishant Sharma and Sudeep Tyagi. The former is going through a miserable slump in form and further onslaught at the hand of the Aussies could cause permanent damage. If one of the quicker bowlers chosen in his place goes through a rough patch, Ishant can be selected. This might instill a sense of responsibility and help him bowl better. But this is wishful thinking to a large extent. Sudeep Tyagi is too inexperienced to be thrown in at the start. He can be given a game or two towards the fag end of the series. By then, he will feel a part of the dressing room, shrug off initial levels of awe and in a nutshell, settle down. If Yuvraj Singh is fit to bowl, Ravindra Jadeja need not be fielded. Unless things go horribly wrong, Yuvraj can bowl at least as well as Jadeja on any given day. An in form batsman, Virat Kohli can come in as the seventh batsman. However, if Yuvraj is unfit to bowl, Kohli will have to make way for Jadeja. Ashish Nehra and Munaf Patel should be in the starting eleven, as they are the best new ball bowlers in India right now, based on current form. Praveen Kumar is a hardworking cricketer, but his inclusion is justified only if the pitches offer some assistance to seamers, something not too likely in Indian conditions. Amit Mishra, given spin friendly tracks, has the ability to decimate any opposition. Harbhajan is of course, in by default. So the bowlers of my choice would be Nehra, Munaf, Mishra and Harbhajan, with Yuvraj, Raina, Sehwag and Kohli accounting for the fifth bowler.

Now we come to the much flaunted batting line up, thankfully bolstered by the return of Sehwag and Yuvraj. Saurav Ganguly recently said that Dhoni should bat at no. 3. With all due respect, I believe the top 3 should not be disturbed. Sachin and Sehwag should open, with Gambhir at no. 3. Gambhir has shown indifferent form of late, but if he is in the team, he ought to be in the top 3, otherwise not. I am sure nobody will question Sehwag’s presence at the top, but there are a few mulling over Sachin at no. 4. I feel Sachin would be wasted down the order. As an opener, he will be able to get off to a start using power play restrictions, and then consolidate to get a good score. He can also shepherd Sehwag during the latter’s typically whirlwind knocks. In case two wickets fall quickly, I would like Dhoni to come in at no. 4 and do what he is good at of late- consolidation. He can keep the scoreboard ticking with deft placements and hopefully regain some of his aggressive instincts towards the latter part of the innings. If the top 3 survive the first 20-25 overs, then Yuvraj and Raina, naturally more aggressive than Dhoni, should precede him. Virat Kohli can be maintained as a buffer batsman at number seven.

It will be extremely difficult to contain Australia on batsman friendly tracks, an example of which was seen during the abandoned Indo-Aussie Champions Trophy match, where Australia scored freely in spite of 5 specialist bowlers in Indian ranks. Given the current depleted status of India’s bowling attack, it needs to be a battle where batsmen have to lead. Seven regular batsmen give India the opportunity to keep attacking even if a few wickets fall. The mantra is simple: If India bats first, they should look to score 350 on a good batting track. If they chase, they should back the batsmen to get any score. Because of home advantage, I will give India a slight edge over the Aussies. As the series unfolds, a few twists, a whole lot of drama, and hopefully some really close finishes will be in store. More than the teams, it’s the game, poised to be taken over by its relatively casual offspring, which needs it.