Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai
Before the start of the ongoing ODI series against South Africa, the Indian team management’s message to the players was about stability. The idea was to play a set combination for all the three matches without any unnecessary tinkering. For example, Ruturaj Gaikwad, an opener, was told that he would be the No. 4 here for the entire series. After scoring his maiden ODI hundred in Raipur, Gaikwad spoke about how the team management’s confidence in him helped his game.
Similarly, Washington Sundar was slotted at No. 5 with a rider that KL Rahul, the stand-in captain in the series, could play as a floater like he did in Raipur. The fact of the matter is that Washington is taking time to get into the groove, which modern white-ball cricket doesn’t allow for batters from No. 5 to No. 7, coming on the heels of a solid base.
In Raipur, when the southpaw walked out to bat, India were 284/4 in the 40th over. Washington scored one off eight balls. In the first match in Ranchi, coming in at No. 5, with the team score 183/3 in the 27th over, he managed 13 off 19 deliveries. More than his runs, it’s the number of balls that he consumed, which, momentum-wise, took the wind out of India’s sails in both games. With Ravindra Jadeja at No. 7, the back-end charge is not getting adequate muscles. No disrespect to the champion all-rounder, but Jadeja probably would be the first to admit that he is not an enforcer.
India were done in by the spin of the coin, dew and Prasidh Krishna’s profligacy in Raipur. Another 30-odd runs probably would have cancelled out those factors, and things were nicely set up for the hosts to post a total in the region of 380. Rahul spoke about that at the post-match presentation. “There are always things we could have done better,” he told the host broadcaster. “With the bat, I know that 350 looks good, but that has been the chat in the dressing room even after the last game about how we can get the extra 20-25 runs to give bowlers a cushion with the wet ball.”
Conventional thinking suggests that a specialist at No. 5 would augur well for the team. Rishabh Pant is warming the bench and he is a perfect fit for that position with all his innovations. But the team management is unlikely to upset the balance, and they have a valid logic. The selectors picked a callow seam-bowling group for the series and although Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana have given a good account of themselves, the third seamer’s position remains a big area of concern. Given that the squad doesn’t have a back-up quick — seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is there — the team might have to make do with Prasidh in the final ODI in Vizag as well. So India needs a sixth bowling option.
This takes us to Tilak Varma. The left-hand batsman who bowls right-arm off-break could be a like-for-like replacement for Washington, almost. Over the last two ODIs, Tilak had decent bowling stints at the nets and he is a player with a big-match temperament. The Asia Cup final against Pakistan in August attested that, notwithstanding that it was a T20I fixture. Also, Tilak can play the role of an aggressor. Between him and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s leg-break — he, too, is bowling a lot at the nets — India might have their sixth bowler sorted.
Rahul batting at No. 5 and Reddy replacing Washington could be another option. Vizag is Reddy’s home patch, but given the conditions, his inclusion might lead to India having two iffy seamers too many.
On the face of it, this is an inconsequential series, more about looking at certain things during the early part of the team’s 2027 World Cup journey rather than the results. But India suffered a home-Test whitewash against the Proteas only about a week ago. Losing the ODI series on the back of it could be damaging for a side that touted their home dominance not many moons ago.
Also Read Dew factor: Did India miss a preparation trick in Raipur?
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