AHMEDABAD: For a side that’s very successful in bilateral competitions, the senior Indian men’s team have not been able to crack the combination lock required to win ICC titles. Since MS Dhoni led the side to victory in the 2013 edition of the Champions Trophy, they have repeatedly stumbled in the business end.
They have another ICC final to look forward to after advancing to the summit clash of the World Test Championship. But, they face various questions before they will line up for the anthems against Australia at The Oval on June 7. A look at a few of them...
Identity of the middle order
At the time of writing, only three of India’s top four are safe bets to make the XI. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara (who will begin his red-ball season early as he has a stint with Sussex) are locked. You would assume Shubman Gill will play but where? He may open but, as it stands, his technique could be susceptible to the moving ball, especially when it’s new. So, he could conceivably come in at No. 5. If that’s the case, could there be a recall for KL Rahul, who did well in 2021?
Shreyas Iyer is another name to keep an eye on but he’s suffering from a back injury at the moment. Surgery could potentially rule him out of the final so if that’s the case, you would expect Rahul and Gill to feature. Could the management get funky and play Rahul as ‘keeper (a part-time keeper will face lots of challenges)? It’s highly unlikely. Hanuma Vihari featured in the fifth Test in 2022 but it will be unlikely to see him feature.
Replacing Bumrah and Pant
The last time they played a series in England, these two players put their hands up on several occasions. While the BCCI haven’t officially ruled them out, it’s highly unlikely they will be able to play as they continue their rehabilitation process following big injuries. KS Bharat replaced Pant in the home Test series against Australia and equipped himself well. But he remains a work in progress; several of the missed chances behind the stumps could be put down to a lapse in concentration.
Keeping in England can also be tricky as the ball tends to wobble a lot after passing the stumps. He was okay with the bat without being flash but India may seek more. India do have better fast-bowling reserves but nobody of that calibre. Mohammed Shami will take the new ball but who will he share it with? Mohammed Siraj is a safe bet but there could be late bolters.
The spinners’ conundrum
Less than an hour after India rubber-stamped their place, Ravichandran Ashwin was ready for the ‘ultimate’ final. The only problem? For a bowler who’s knocking on the door of 500 Test wickets, he isn’t an automatic lock whenever India plays away from the sub-continent. However, at The Oval, he may find his place. Like Steve Smith mentioned after the match on Monday, if there’s one pitch in England that takes turn as the game wears on, it’s the Oval. So it presents the team management with a selection headache.
If they play two spinners, who will it be? If they line up with two spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin are almost certainties. But if they believe that with an early start (while the County season begins in April, a vast majority of Tests are played only from July) the pitch may take more pace than spin, it could be a case of picking one of Ashwin or Jadeja.
Fast-bowling all-rounder slot
If India play Axar Patel in home Tests, that spot is usually reserved for a fast-bowling all-rounder whenever they play away from Asia. But playing Thakur comes with its own caveat. He’s a Goldilocks cricketer; somebody capable of taking seven wickets in one innings but also somebody who can go for plenty in one spell. When speaking about the WTC final before the Indore Test, Sharma had spoken about how Thakur is their de facto go-to option in away Tests.
He’s probably in the race to feature in that No 8 or 9 slot (depending on whether India play both Ashwin and Jadeja or play three frontline seam specialists). There could be other tempting options but it’s unlikely to see any of the other players given an outing in a match of this magnitude.
