The squad for the series between India and Australia has been announced and India would be relieved to know that Michael Clarke is not included owing to fitness issues. India is the clear favourites ahead of this series, mainly due to the continuity of cricket played in the sub-continent in the recent times. Most of the Indian players participated in the Champions League and are in fine touch.
The most sensational news of the recent times is the selection of an in-form Yuvraj Singh in the playing eleven. The most favourite son of Punjab has proved that he is a fighter from within and it shows from the recent performances in the domestic level. His fitness has improved in leaps and bounds and is raring to go. His selection ahead of Dinesh Karthik is a wise call from the selectors as he could be an asset to the Indian middle order. His handy left-arm spin could be used to full-effect and MS Dhoni can afford to play with only four bowlers in his presence.
Now I am providing a thorough analysis of the Indian team’s strength and weaknesses with regard to the Australian series:
The batting department:
India is known for its overwhelming talent in the batting department and the tradition continues even after the departure of the stalwarts. The openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are in splendid touch as they exhibited in the recently concluded Champions League. Dhawan especially was ruthless as he waltzed through the opponent’s bowling attack with disdain.
Rohit was not far behind as he demonstrated his abilities with the bat to full effect. India is lucky to have such a pair batting at the top and would not need the services of the other batsmen if these two get going.
Then there is the middle order. Comprising of Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sir Ravindra Jadeja, India boasts of one of the strongest middle-orders in the limited overs format. Any of these above players could win a match single-handedly on their day and are versatile enough to pace their innings according to the needs of the team.
Yuvraj and Dhoni especially are master finishers and no total is above them if they get going. The duo of Raina and Kohli are lend stability to the middle order and can play some quick fire innings when the situation demands.
Overall it’s a balanced and settled batting line up and one can expect fireworks right from the moment they set foot on the batting crease.
The bowling department:
India is strengthened with the arrival of Yuvraj Singh. Alongside Jadeja and Ashwin, Yuvraj could be an asset in the middle overs. Other than that, the fast bowling comprises of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Vinay Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat and Mohammad Shami. Vinay Kumar is most likely to make the cut and the seam bowling attack is pretty strong considering their form and fitness.
Ishant bowled decently in the CLT20 and Bhuvneshwar’s swing is yet to be deciphered. Therefore India possesses a strong bowling line up that can tame any batting order on any given day.
Key Players:
Shikhar Dhawan:The southpaw from Delhi is in red hot form. His presence at the top would be crucial to India’s chances in the tournament. His starts can enable India in amassing a huge total and his exploits at the top can help the middle-order settle down before going for their shots.
Yuvraj Singh:The all-rounder from Punjab has fought against the odds to land a place in the highly competitive Indian side. While many people counted him out, Yuvraj proved himself with some extraordinary knocks in the recently concluded series against West Indies A team. His presence in the middle-order could boost the Indian batting line up, not to mention his handy part time spin bowling that can break any kind of partnerships.
Suresh Raina:The flamboyant southpaw from Uttar Pradesh is on a rollicking form, thanks to his brilliant performances in the recently concluded champion’s league. He was the second highest run getter in the tournament. For Raina, this series is very important in clinching a place for the test series against West Indies in the November and he needs to carry on with his good show to ensure that the selectors take a good look at him before naming the team.
R. Ashwin:The wily off-spinner from Tamil Nadu had a quite Champions League series and would want to set things right in the upcoming ODI series against Australia. Ashwin would relish the opportunity to bowl against the Aussie batsmen who are vulnerable when facing spin. He would use his variations to good effect and pick wickets in heaps.
The verdict:
Overall, India is looking pretty against a weakened Australian team, weaker than the one that toured India in the summer. The presence of youngsters mixed with the experience of players like Yuvraj, Dhoni, Raina and Kohli lends perfect balance to the team. With Australia losing their skipper to injury, India should try and whitewash the visiting Aussies.
The Australian team depend heavily on Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson. It is going to be very difficult for them to overcome India and unlike last time, they do not have the experience of Ricky Ponting at the helm. They can fancy their chances only if India is inadvertent of their opponents and India would do well not to take the Australians lightly!
All the best India!
- India Squad: MS Dhoni (capt&wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Vinay Kumar, Amit Mishra, AmbatiRayudu, Mohammed Shami, Jaydev Unadkat
- Possible eleven :MS Dhoni (capt&wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Vinay Kumar.