The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Wednesday, will table a meeting in Mumbai to select the squad for the five-Test match series against England which starts on November 9. However, it is still not confirmed that the selectors will select the squad for the whole series or just for first two or three Test matches.
Going by the performance of players in domestic cricket, this selection meet will not at all be easy for the MSK Prasad-led committee as few discarded players have also performed quite well, which has now added to woes of selectors, who are facing ‘Problem of Choice‘. One of the fresh examples is Yuvraj Singh, who recently scored 260 runs in the Ranji game against Baroda at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.
Though thinking that he will be selected in the squad will something that you would laugh off but the important thing is that it came in front of two national selectors, Sarandeep Singh and Devang Gandhi. Yuvi made most out of the opportunity raising his bat towards the selectors soon as he reached the milestone, he received a standing applause from Sarandeep Singh. He might give some indication to him as well.
Selectors might not tinker with the squad that played against New Zealand but there will be few names which will disturb them. Also, few of the members of New Zealand series squad are still not fit and there ‘N’ number of candidates to replace them. Though it is a sweet headache for selectors but yes, it is a headache.
In Focus
The main focus will be on the selection of openers and the fast bowler Ishant Sharma. As of now, the place of Gautam Gambhir looks safe alongside the regular opener Murali Vijay. There will a contest between Karun Nair and KL Rahul for that one vacant spot. If KL Rahul is fit, then Karun Nair will play the next round of Ranji Trophy whereas he’ll most likely make his Test debut if Rahul is not fit.
Ishant will be the second man in focus. Though his selection looks confirmed but he was not fully fit in the Ranji Trophy. He was not able to bowl well in front of Devang Gandhi who was present at Eden Garden when Delhi was playing against Karnataka. Here again, fitness will be the key for selection.
It will not be an easy decision for selectors of whom to select and whom to reject.