Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag – the only two double centurions in ODI cricket – will provide the main points of discussion when the selectors assemble in Mumbai tomorrow, to pick a 15-man squad for the Asia Cup
Nagraj Gollapudi28-Feb-2012Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag – the only two double centurions in ODI cricket – will provide the main points of discussion when the selectors assemble in Mumbai tomorrow, to pick a 15-man squad for the Asia Cup. This meeting is touted to be the “toughest and the most pivotal” for the selection panel led by Kris Srikkanth, during which the selectors are likely to axe an underperforming Sehwag and consider the ODI future of Tendulkar.Tendulkar has yet to inform the board about his availability – or unavailability – for the Asia Cup. Previously, whenever Tendulkar had decided to opt out of a series, he had notified the board in advance, the situation with the veteran batsman being what one board official described as “an uncontrollable”.MS Dhoni is likely to lead the team – as opposed to being rested – to Dhaka for the tournament that begins on March 12. Zaheer Khan will be rested and a valuable cameo of 40 not out against Sri Lanka in Hobart may have given Suresh Raina a fresh lease of life following his disappointing tour of Australia.”It will be the most pivotal meeting,” a BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo. “It might set trends for future selections.” As far as Sehwag goes, there seems to be a growing impatience among the selectors with the way he has been getting out on the Australia tour – first during the Test series and in the last month in the Commonwealth Bank tri-series. In the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Sehwag aggregated 198 runs at 24.75. In the CB Series, he has managed 65 runs in five matches so far.It has been an incredible slump in form for Sehwag, whose last international innings, before landing in Australia was his record-breaking 219 against West Indies. “He keeps getting out to shots that he should not be chasing at all. His case is turning out to be a little awkward,” the board official, who had supposedly had a word with the selectors, said. “Dropping him and asking him to take a break is an option.”Probable India squad for Asia Cup
MS Dhoni (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma/Manoj Tiwary, Irfan Pathan, R Ashwin, Rahul Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar, Ashok Dinda
The Tendulkar case is more complex and the selectors really do not have a straightforward solution. Tendulkar has been hanging on the precipice of hundred international hundreds for close to a year. “The pressure is evident,” the board official said. Though Tendulkar managed fluent starts in both the Tests series and the ongoing CB Series, he struggled to convert those into big score. In fifteen innings on the Australia trip till date – four Tests and seven ODIs – Tendulkar could manage only two fifties. But his quest for the record has started to mount pressure on the team, the board official pointed out.Dhoni had said at the beginning of the CB Series that playing all three of Tendulkar, Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in the XI would have a severe impact in the field, and India had initially employed a rotation policy for the three openers. Sehwag had subsequently denied having known that the trio’s fielding was one of Dhoni’s reasons for the rotation policy, sparking some speculation of a rift in the team. But it is understood that the selectors, in private, do agree that a youthful side is always a better option, especially in the field.”But the case of Tendulkar is unique. It is for him to decide when he wants to go out. He is an uncontrollable,” the official said. “The selectors will only take a call if the BCCI asks them to.”So, with no word from Tendulkar on skipping the Asia Cup, he is likely to figure as one of the many names Srikkanth and Co. will discuss while picking a squad with a probable break-up of eight batsmen, a wicketkeeper and six bowlers. In case the selectors decide to drop Sehwag, Ajinkya Rahane is a favourite to replace him. Rahane was part of the Test squad in Australia, but only warmed up the bench before returning to play for Mumbai in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.As for the middle order, the board official pointed out there is a hint of pressure on Rohit Sharma but he could still retain his place.Meanwhile Zaheer is likely to be rested after he managed to finish his first complete tour of Australia in three attempts – he had picked up a calf injury at the backend of the trip and the selectors would not want to push him too hard. Ashok Dinda, second highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy this season, is likely to top the list of potential replacements. Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar are expected to retain their places in the four-man pace attack, which could also feature Munaf Patel. Munaf, who was part of the World Cup-winning squad, has recovered completely from the injury he picked during last year’s tour of England.In the spin department, the selectors are still not convinced about Harbhajan Singh, and are expected to retain R Ashwin and Rahul Sharma. Harbhajan returned to competitive cricket in the Vijay Hazare Trophy after recovering from a shin injury in the early part of Punjab’s Ranji campaign, but has struggled for wickets, thereby weakening his case. “He has not done anything much,” the board official said.Edited by Nikita Bastian
