india’s chief selector MSK Prasad is a happy man after having multiple options up his sleeves. Having a solid bench strength is one of the key attributes of building a potent team. The Indian team has some solid players and they have delivered the goods for the team in crunch situations. However, it is also imperative to have good back-up players who can fill in the shoes of the main players when there are any untimely injuries.
India has got some solid players as the Under-19 and India A players have come through the ranks. Furthermore, playing in the Indian Premier League in front of big crowds has helped these budding cricketers grow in confidence. And the results have been palpable as the young players have grabbed their opportunities with both hands and they have taken giant strides in their career.
India has got a solid bench strength.
India has got solid openers in Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal in the Test fold. Furthermore, Prithvi Shaw, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Priyank Panchal, and KL Rahul have come up with consistent performances in the recent past. Easwaran and Panchal have delivered goods in the domestic circuit. Thus, India has four back-up batsmen for the opening role.
“If you take the case of openers, now with Rohit (Sharma) stepping up, you have Rohit, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Priyank Panchal. On any given day, any of these guys can open for India. That’s how we have groomed them from a systematic process through India A tours,” Prasad said.
On the other hand, Indian fast bowlers have taken massive strides in the last couple of years. The likes of Navdeep Saini, Avesh Khan, and Ishan Porel have impressed with their pace and have done a good job for their respective state teams.
Saini has got his chances for the national team and the likes of Basil Thampi and Sandeep Warrier are not far away from getting the recognition at the national side. Furthermore, these players can be called into the national side if the team management decides to give rest to the big players.
“Talking of fast bowling back-ups, we have Navdeep Saini, Avesh Khan, Basil Thampi, Sandeep Warrier, Ishant Porel and Mohammed Siraj. So, there is a bench for every slot. I am sure this will pave the way and strengthen the Indian team across all formats,” said Prasad.
India had got a solid group of young players and they are making the most of their opportunities. No doubt the future of Indian cricket looks in safe hands.