Shamik Chakrabarty in Colombo
KL Rahul went first into one of the nets. Rishabh Pant went later. As India trained at the Premadasa Stadium on the eve of their ODI series opener against Sri Lanka, the focus was on the two players who might be competing with each other for the wicketkeeper-batsman’s slot.
Pant was out of the Indian team for a year-and-a-half. And as he was recovering from a horror car crash, Rahul was slotted into the ‘keeper-batsman’s role and performed commendably. Now that Pant is back to the fold, who would be the team management’s choice? Rohit Sharma agreed that this offered him a selection problem, but more on that later.
Rahul has been doing the job since last year’s Asia Cup. He was safe behind the stumps and scored 169 runs in three innings at an average of 84.50 in that tournament. Against Pakistan, he scored 111 off 106 balls and stitched an unbroken 233-run third wicket partnership with Virat Kohli.
In last year’s World Cup, Rahul made 452 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.33, including a hundred and two half-centuries. Then, in South Africa, where he led the team to a 2-1 series victory, the 32-year-old scored a half-century in the two innings he played. India are returning to the 50-over format after a long time and it would be difficult for the think-tank to drop someone who successfully led the side in the last ODI series before this one.
Somehow, Pant has failed to replicate his Test exploits in white-ball cricket. A tally of 865 runs in 30 matches at an average of 34.60 is a bit belowpar for such a talented cricketer. Then again, the left-hand batter carries a certain X-factor and the team management believe in his ability to take the game away from the opposition.
Both could have been fitted into the playing XI, but Shreyas Iyer’s return has made things complicated. If practice sessions offer a clue, then Iyer will play. One between Rahul and Pant might have to miss out.
Rohit kept his cards close in terms of who would be preferred. “You will get to see tomorrow,” he said at the pre-match press conference. “I will have to talk to coach Gautam Gambhir before taking a decision.”
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At the same time, the skipper admitted that it would be a tough call. “Yes, it’s a problem,” he said. “But it’s a happy problem. Both are match-winners in their own way and as a captain, I would like to have these kinds of problems.”
Rahul and Pant would walk into most other 50-over sides in the world. Indian cricket, though, has the problem of plenty.
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