MSK Prasad explains MS Dhoni snub and Rohit Sharma comeback
Chief selector of the Indian Cricket Team, MSK Prasad, has explained the inclusions and exclusions in the squads announced on Friday night. The selectors picked the teams for T20I series against Windies and Australia and the Test series against the latter and certain selections raised questions.
The biggest surprise of the announcement was the omission of MS Dhoni from the T20I side, as he has been “rested” to test out the second wicket-keeper alternative. Rohit Sharma has been offered yet another chance at redemption as he was picked for the Test squad for the Australia tour. Murali Vijay also received a comeback call while Dinesh Karthik had to make way for Parthiv Patel, who has been called after being kept out for two-match Test series.
“Dhoni is not going to play the six T20Is because we are looking at the second 'keeper slot. It is not the end of Dhoni in T20s,” Prasad said at the press conference.
Rohit has been in and out of the Test side without any considerable success, both at home and overseas. With Australian pitches offering decent bounce to the bowlers, a batsman with a good negotiation technique against the short ball such as Rohit will be a great asset to the side in countering the likes of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
“With regards to Rohit, he is a good back-foot player and we felt his game is much suited in Australia,” Prasad explained.
Vijay, who was dropped from the touring party midway through the Test series against England did the hard yards and ground out runs for Essex in the County Championship, scoring three fifties and a century in five innings and earned a well-deserved call-up after brief clouds over his future for India.
“Vijay went back, showed the intent and performed and considering the intensity of the series we have brought him,” Prasad explained.
Parthiv will make another trip to Australia, the country he impressed in all those years back as a teenager when India got their best ever series result, a 1-1 draw in 2003/04 after being down 0-1. His adaptability is one of the reasons he has been picked again, he will most likely be the second fiddle to Rishabh Pant but if situations demand, he can don the gloves and even float in the batting order to provide flexibility.
“The advantage with Parthiv is that he is a left-hander and can bat anywhere and when the team demanded he opened the innings with a fractured hand in South Africa. He played the Duleep Trophy and whatever matches that happened, he batted well. It’s an intensive series (in Australia) and we have called him back,” Prasad reasoned.