adminA tour of Zimbabwe, of late, has almost proved to be a laboratory for Indian cricket, where India’s bench strength goes under the microscope against a so-so opposition.
Ever since the upheaval in Zimbabwe, their cricket has struggled to return to the competitive nature it always used to have during the times of Dave Houghton, Alistair Campbell, Eddo Brandes, Heath Streak and the Flower Brothers – Andy and Grant.
Among them, Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav are in their 30s and would surely want a permanent seat on Team India’s bench on tours where all the seniors pick themselves up in the playing XI. And with almost all of them – including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane – given a well-deserved rest, a lot of opportunities open up for those keen to make the most of their second chance.
Ambati Rayudu: Aged 30, Rayudu is an experienced hand of 31 ODIs and three T20Is. He impressed with scores of 41 and 124* in his last stint for India against Zimbabwe last year, but in the last two T20Is he played for India in October against South Africa, Rayudu failed to open his account. He was consistent in the IPL and can be a force to reckon with in the middle-order during Zimbabwe tour.
Axar Patel: Patel, a slow left-arm orthodox, last played for India against South Africa during a home series in 2015. He scored 37 runs in four matches and took five wickets. His last T20I was also against the South Africans where he scored nine runs and took a wicket in two matches. The 22-year-old, however, was one of the most consistent performers in IPL-9 for Kings XI Punjab and can prove effective if given a chance in Zimbabwe.
Barinder Sran: Sran is only 23 and announced his arrival by taking three wickets in his debut ODI against Australia last year. He couldn’t take a wicket in his next two matches but proved a potent bowler for IPL-9 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad and can be more than a handful with his seam-up stuff on the African tour.
Manish Pandey: Pandey’s maiden ton in his last ODI for India helped the team beat Australia in the fifth ODI of the 2015 series Down Under. He didn’t bat in his last T20I in Mumbai against the West Indies and scored just 19 runs in two T20Is against Zimbabwe last year. Pandey, 26, was inconsistent in the IPL and would need to pull out all stops to establish himself.
Dhawal Kulkarni: The 27-year-old Mumbai medium pacer has an experience of eight ODIs. His last appearance for India was in July against hosts Zimbabwe, where he took four wickets. He earned praise for his consistent bowling for IPL debutants Gujarat Lions and took 11 wickets in his last 7 matches. If he gets a chance during the Zimbabwe tour, he has the ability to rattle the top-order.
Jaydev Unadkat: The left-arm pacer was seen on the international scene last in an ODI in November 2013 against the West Indies, where he returned wicketless. His six wickets for the Rest of India in the Irani Cup this year played pivotal role in taking his team to a title win. His wicket-taking consistency also had a major role in Saurashtra’s dream run to the Ranji Trophy final this season. The 24-year-old would thus like to make the most of this chance to establish himself in the first-choice pool of Indian cricketers.
Kedar Jadhav: Jadhav, a 31-year-old right-handed batsman, grabbed headlines for hitting a century in his last match for India in July against Zimbabwe. It was his maiden ton in the fourth and last ODI. In two T20Is on the same tour, he scored just 14 runs. In this IPL, he didn’t get many chances to bat in a star-studded RCB but his innings of 58* and 91* for India A against Gujarat took the team to the Deodhar Trophy final. He can be a good option as a wicketkeeper-cum-middle order batsman in Zimbabwe.
Rishi Dhawan: Dhawan is a quality player from Himachal Pradesh but the 26-year-old bowling allrounder’s last and only stint with Team India was a modest one. He made his debut against Australia during the ODI series in Australia but managed just 12 runs in two innings and took a solitary wicket in three ODIs. He has been lucky to get another chance to prove his worth. – News18.com
Online Reporter
derick.khumalo