A critic's India XI for the Twenty20 World Cup 2016
On evidence of the just concluded ODI series, the Indian team cannot claim to be serious contenders for the upcoming World T20 just yet. And it is not just the bowling that looks far from settled. Given this, a passionate cricket fan and guest writer wants to revamp the current team!
A good top order makes for a good short format side. But a truly dominant side usually has an imposing lower middle order. A T20 line-up which has Ambati Rayudu and Axar Patel sandwiching an out-of-form Mahendra Singh Dhoni does not look solid, let alone inspire fear in the opposition ranks. A man-of-the-match performance in the last Test notwithstanding, Jadeja is yet to pull his weight as a batsman. The number of occasions when he has given headaches to bowling attacks can be counted on one hand with fingers to spare. Clearly, the batting line-up is in need of a shake-up.
We need someone in the Maxwell mould- a dasher who can score at stratospheric strike rates on a consistent basis. Dhoni believes in giving each of his players a long enough rope. While that has its advantages, it also means that we have not really tried out too many fringe players on the big stage.
We can look at fresh talents, but the World Cup might be a real test of temperament and you would want someone who already has enough games under his belt. The current Indian T20 line-up is full of players who bat in the top 3 for their respective IPL franchises. The one player who has moved around a bit (and with success) is Rohit Sharma.
He batted low in the middle order for India in the inaugural T20 WC. He did a similar job for the erstwhile Deccan Chargers and for Mumbai Indians as well closing out quite a few tight games along the way. He has the skill and the temperament to deliver in the lower middle order. I would look no further to fill up the pivotal No.5 position.
Rohit at five vacates one slot at the top. Ajinkya Rahane has done enough over the last three years for the Royals to lock in one of the two opening slots. He is prolific and gets his runs at a fair clip too. And he can be the perfect foil for an aggressor at the other end. A few months ago, Shikhar Dhawan would have been an automatic choice. But form has deserted him for far too long now. There have been quite a few standout performers in the IPL who could replace Dhawan.
A look at the chart shows that Robin Uthappa has been only less consistent than the ever-IPL-reliable Raina. He has been stellar in the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders and for Karnataka in the domestic competitions. Uthappa's experience at the international level will put him ahead of his competitors like Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer for the top spot. His ability to keep wickets will also be an added advantage.Â
With Virat coming in at three and Dhoni following after Rohit at six, we have two more slots left. Raina has not been his usual self for a very long time now. This last IPL season was comfortably his worst and he has done nothing of note in the international arena of late as well. But he has been one of the most destructive T20 batsmen over the years and should be persisted with. Raina is my number four.
No. 7 is a tricky position. For far too long we have been trying to find a Yuvraj in the likes of Jadeja and Axar. Sadly, they have not completed the transition from promise to performance just yet. I think it is
His performance in the 2015 IPL and exploits in the ongoing domestic tournament will put Pathan’s name up for discussion. With the T20 World Cup being held on Indian pitches, Pathan could become the wild card entry who will take the tournament by storm. His exploits with the ball will also help him in getting that no.7 spot.
India rarely
In this year’s IPL, a veteran made a comeback of sorts. Nehra was by far the most impressive Indian pacer snaring 22 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.2. He was Dhoni’s go-to man and bowled all the crucial overs. He looked the fittest he has ever been and can be the death-over specialist India have lacked for long. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar would be my
On the spinners’ front, Amit Mishra and Harbhajan Singh make the squad along with Ashwin. Mishra is something of an IPL legend and has been fairly consistent over the years. But greater control, superior economy rate and extra runs with the bat tip the scales in favour of Harbhajan to start in the playing XI. The fifth bowler’s duties will have to be shared by Yusuf Pathan, Raina and Rohit.
There is still time for the tournament and there are a few things which can be changed around, to give ourselves a much better shot at T20 WC glory. But as a captain, Dhoni does not really chop and change too much and derives a lot of comfort from familiarity. It is about time that he breaks the shackles – both in his batting and his captaincy. His legacy has been stained a bit and he has a real opportunity to give it a neat coat of varnish. The answers are there, but it remains to be seen if he will ask the questions.
The Squad
Playing XI
Robin Uthappa, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, MS Dhoni, R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Mohd. Shami, Ashish Nehra
Extras
Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar