Looking Ahead

The selectors have certainly got it right in appointing Rahul Dravid captain for the 3-Test series against SL. This is a forward-looking, progressive move, when they could have easily got caught in such crap theories like SG is the most successful captain, he won the last series 2-0, he had a hundred in that series etc. All that is fine point is this is the era of Rahul Dravid. The Sourav Ganguly era is over. In fact, I do think that the anarchy that the BCCI finds itself in would have given the selectors a freer hand in making their choice. God let there always be anarchy if it is going to produce such beneficial outcomes.

Having said which there was this ridiculous decision to prepone the selection for the first Test against SL. By newspaper accounts it was done so as to pick Sourav Ganguly in the side so as to assuage the angry fans in Kolkata who were threatening to disrupt the match there. So now, a great precedent has been set to hold Indian cricket hostage to the whims and fancies of irrational fans. I wonder whether the Mumbaikars will take a cue and follow a similar strategy to get Ramesh Powar included ?? After all, if it works for the gander, it works for the goose doesn't it ? And who is to say you are allowed to hold the country hostage only for superstars ??

Well now, coming to the team itself. One point of contention would be the choice of seamers. As of now, only Irfan Pathan is the unquestionable choice. Agarkar has done well in ODIs recently, but should that translate to a spot in the test side ? I would like to see Agarkar under the new management. I for one believe he was not used optimally by the SG-JW duo. Then is the more intriguing case of Zaheer and Balaji. Both were in the team for Zimbabwe. Should they be retained ? Surely Zaheer has done enough in the Duleep trophy to retain his place. But fact is I just don't like that guy. I don't trust him. Simply because innumerable times in the past, he has done well to come back in the Indian side only to let us down at crucial times bowling medium pace. Balaji, I like his attitude and his ability to swing the ball both ways. But he is always under a injury cloud. And he hasn't done anything great in the Duleep Trophy.

Ashish Nehra, insallah, is out of question.

The challengers to Zaheer and Balaji will be obviously RP Singh and Sree Santh. Well, more RP than Sree Santh people would say based on stats. I tend to disagree but whatever. Point is, is the time ripe to give these youngsters a spot in the Test squad ?

I do think that maybe however much I hate it we have to retain Zaheer Khan now. And Balaji too. Anyway, I believe we will be playing only 2 pacers in the test.

Oh meanwhile, here is what my team would look like:
Rahul Dravid
Virender Sehwag
Gautam Gambhir
Sachin Tendulkar
VVS Laxman
Sourav Ganguly
Mohammad Kaif
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Irfan Pathan
Ajit Agarkar
Zaheer Khan
Anil Kumble
Harbhajan Singh
Murali Karthik
Yuvraj Singh/Balaji/Dinesh Karthik (depending upon what kind of backup they want)