Shivam Dube is in the firing line. Despite India’s win, Dube has got enough and more flak in the last couple of days. First things first – the catch he dropped off Mohammad Rizwan was a sitter. He did not have to move, and it just went in and out. Had Rizwan won the match for Pakistan, the dropped catch could well have been the talking point for the next few days. With the bat too, he hasn’t been able to deliver yet. And many have asked why he is in the team ahead of Rinku Singh if he isn’t going to bowl even a single over. It is a fair question, and a couple of batting failures have added to the growing clamour over Dube’s inclusion.
To be honest, I had issues with his selection when the team was first announced. I have never been a fan of using IPL performances as an index for international selection, and felt Rinku was hard done by. He should have made the team, and it was unfair on him to be left out. But having said that, now that Dube has been included, he needs to be given a fair run. Against Pakistan, none of the batters except Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel scored runs. To single Dube out would be unfair.
A T20 stalwart like Suryakumar Yadav failed as well, and his record against Pakistan continues to be poor. On a wicket where run-scoring became increasingly difficult with time, Dube, like many others from both teams, struggled. And it could well be his inability to score that has started to put pressure on him in the field. But does he not deserve a go in better batting conditions in the West Indies? When every other player gets a long run, why not Dube?
The best part about Rohit Sharma as skipper is how he owns his decisions. Sending Pant at No. 3 is one such. It was a major call, and could have gone either way. Opening with Virat Kohli is yet another such decision. Already, there are murmurs that Kohli is best-suited for No. 3. The truth is Kohli can bat in any position, and Rohit and the team management know it. They know that with Pant at 3, India have an X-factor player who can take advantage of the Powerplay if a wicket falls early. And it was Pant who made a huge difference against Pakistan. With Dube also, it could be the same. Rohit will give him enough opportunities to prove himself, and only when he is convinced that it is not working will he look beyond him.
All through the IPL, Hardik Pandya was the target of criticism. He wasn’t doing much, and plenty was written and said about him. Dube, in fact, was looked upon as the saviour who could easily replace Hardik if needed. Within three weeks, things have turned. Hardik, with his effort against Pakistan, is back in favour and Dube has now been rejected!
It is this fickleness of the Indian cricket fan and analyst that one needs to guard against. Halfway through the Pakistan game, India were rubbish. At the end of the game, India under Rohit could do no wrong. While it is absolutely true that Dube needs to do better, it is a fact that it’s unfair to write that he should get injured and give way. Let the team management look beyond him if it happens, but for some in the media to say that he should get injured ahead of the West Indies leg is blatantly unfair. Such things shouldn’t be said about any player, and they smack of a certain kind of intolerance. Rather, let’s back Dube against the USA and Canada, and if he fails to perform, he will surely be benched when the Indian team leaves US shores for the West Indies. Till then, a little more patience, please, and a some restraint. The team management deserves better, and so does Dube.
Also Read: Babar Azam’s leadership a symptom of everything that’s wrong with Pakistan cricket