After losing the toss in the first T20I against Australia on February 24, skipper Virat Kohli said that his side wants to test some players who are part of the team’s World Cup plans. “There are people who might be potential contenders for our World Cup squad and we want to give them more game time,” he said. India lost the T20I series 2-0, but the captain insisted the team will enter the ODIs with the same mindset.
After losing the toss in the first T20I against Australia on February 24, skipper Virat Kohli said that his side wants to test some players who are part of the team’s World Cup plans. “There are people who might be potential contenders for our World Cup squad and we want to give them more game time,” he said. India lost the T20I series 2-0, but the captain insisted the team will enter the ODIs with the same mindset.
“Every team will look to fine-tune whatever they need to before the World Cup, and we’ll keep doing that in the ODI series too, but we still want to win every match we play,” the 30-year-old said after losing the series.
As the two teams prepare for the first ODI on Saturday, Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri’s focus will precisely be on ‘potential contenders’, who will have to make the most of their limited opportunities to get a spot in the World Cup squad.
Opportunities for KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant
One such player must be in a fine mood before the start of the five-match ODI series. KL Rahul was dropped from the team in January after a dip in form, and then faced a brief suspension for controversial remarks on a chat show. But he’s returned to the team and found his form, scoring 50 and 47 in the two T20Is. He also rose four spots in the ICC T20I Rankings, reaching a career-best sixth position.
If the 26-year-old is able to display the same form in the ODIs, he is likely to be picked as the backup opening batsman for Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in the World Cup squad.
Another contender for a spot is Rishabh Pant, who has leapfrogged over Dinesh Karthik to become MS Dhoni’s understudy in the tournament. With Karthik being dropped from the ODI squad after a below average performance against Australia and New Zealand, it appears that Pant could be given a ticket to England if he shows he can keep his cool against big teams like Australia in the limited-overs format.
The 21-year-old left-handed batsman had a bad run in the T20I series, getting run out for 3 in Vizag, and then scoring just 1 in Bengaluru. Pant is likely to be given a fair amount of opportunities in the ODI series, and he will be eager to get runs on the board.
The all-rounder dilemma
Kedar Jadhav, who impressed with his all-round skills against Australia and New Zealand, seems set to get a spot in the World Cup squad as long as he’s fit. Despite his presence, India will be keen on taking a regular bowling all-rounder, which means Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar, and Ravindra Jadeja will be fighting for spots.
With Pandya’s fitness a concern ahead of the World Cup, Shankar and Jadeja have an opportunity in the ODI series. Shankar impressed with the bat in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand, but will need to improve on his bowling against Australia to make a case for being picked.
Jadeja, on the other hand, showed signs of a resurgence at the 2018 Asian Cup, picking 4 wickets in his return game. But with Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav already being the first-choice spinning duo in the team, the slow left-arm bowler is unlikely to be picked. Jadeja will be eager to display his batting skills, if he gets a chance against Australia.
The bowling department
Jasprit Bumah and Mohammed Shami are the two front-line bowlers for the Indian team and are guaranteed a spot in the World Cup squad. Experiments with Khaleel Ahmed and Mohammed Siraj haven’t been very heartening, and the third seamer in the team is most likely going to be the obvious pick: Bhuvneshwar Kumar. However, Kumar’s recent struggles with fitness provide Siddarth Kaul, who’s back in the team for the series, with a chance to catch the selectors’ eye.
India may rest Bumrah for a couple of games, and give Kaul a go at the Aussie batting line-up. If the seamer shows he can take wickets in the middle and death overs, Kaul may just travel to England in May.
Australia top order worries
With Steve Smith and David Warner still serving their 12-month bans, Australia has struggled to firm up its top-order. The Aaron Finch-led side will be eager to sort out its issues, and the confidence gained from winning the T20I series might help. The team will hope Finch can also end his struggles with his batting form.
After his heroic ton, Glenn Maxwell is likely to be promoted up the batting order in the first ODI. D’arcy Short, who has returned to the squad, will be eager to replicate his T20I performance in Hyderabad and bat for a spot in the World Cup squad, despite Warner being available for it,
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rishabh Pant, Siddarth Kaul, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja
Australia: Aaron Finch (captain), D’Arcy Short, Shaun Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey, Peter Handscomb, Ashton Turner, Adam Zampa, Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson, Pat Cummins, Andrew Tye, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Nathan Lyon
“Every team will look to fine-tune whatever they need to before the World Cup, and we’ll keep doing that in the ODI series too, but we still want to win every match we play,” the 30-year-old said after losing the series.
As the two teams prepare for the first ODI on Saturday, Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri’s focus will precisely be on ‘potential contenders’, who will have to make the most of their limited opportunities to get a spot in the World Cup squad.
Opportunities for KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant
One such player must be in a fine mood before the start of the five-match ODI series. KL Rahul was dropped from the team in January after a dip in form, and then faced a brief suspension for controversial remarks on a chat show. But he’s returned to the team and found his form, scoring 50 and 47 in the two T20Is. He also rose four spots in the ICC T20I Rankings, reaching a career-best sixth position.
If the 26-year-old is able to display the same form in the ODIs, he is likely to be picked as the backup opening batsman for Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in the World Cup squad.
Another contender for a spot is Rishabh Pant, who has leapfrogged over Dinesh Karthik to become MS Dhoni’s understudy in the tournament. With Karthik being dropped from the ODI squad after a below average performance against Australia and New Zealand, it appears that Pant could be given a ticket to England if he shows he can keep his cool against big teams like Australia in the limited-overs format.
The 21-year-old left-handed batsman had a bad run in the T20I series, getting run out for 3 in Vizag, and then scoring just 1 in Bengaluru. Pant is likely to be given a fair amount of opportunities in the ODI series, and he will be eager to get runs on the board.
The all-rounder dilemma
Kedar Jadhav, who impressed with his all-round skills against Australia and New Zealand, seems set to get a spot in the World Cup squad as long as he’s fit. Despite his presence, India will be keen on taking a regular bowling all-rounder, which means Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar, and Ravindra Jadeja will be fighting for spots.
With Pandya’s fitness a concern ahead of the World Cup, Shankar and Jadeja have an opportunity in the ODI series. Shankar impressed with the bat in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand, but will need to improve on his bowling against Australia to make a case for being picked.
Jadeja, on the other hand, showed signs of a resurgence at the 2018 Asian Cup, picking 4 wickets in his return game. But with Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav already being the first-choice spinning duo in the team, the slow left-arm bowler is unlikely to be picked. Jadeja will be eager to display his batting skills, if he gets a chance against Australia.
The bowling department
Jasprit Bumah and Mohammed Shami are the two front-line bowlers for the Indian team and are guaranteed a spot in the World Cup squad. Experiments with Khaleel Ahmed and Mohammed Siraj haven’t been very heartening, and the third seamer in the team is most likely going to be the obvious pick: Bhuvneshwar Kumar. However, Kumar’s recent struggles with fitness provide Siddarth Kaul, who’s back in the team for the series, with a chance to catch the selectors’ eye.
India may rest Bumrah for a couple of games, and give Kaul a go at the Aussie batting line-up. If the seamer shows he can take wickets in the middle and death overs, Kaul may just travel to England in May.
Australia top order worries
With Steve Smith and David Warner still serving their 12-month bans, Australia has struggled to firm up its top-order. The Aaron Finch-led side will be eager to sort out its issues, and the confidence gained from winning the T20I series might help. The team will hope Finch can also end his struggles with his batting form.
After his heroic ton, Glenn Maxwell is likely to be promoted up the batting order in the first ODI. D’arcy Short, who has returned to the squad, will be eager to replicate his T20I performance in Hyderabad and bat for a spot in the World Cup squad, despite Warner being available for it,
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rishabh Pant, Siddarth Kaul, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja
Australia: Aaron Finch (captain), D’Arcy Short, Shaun Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey, Peter Handscomb, Ashton Turner, Adam Zampa, Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson, Pat Cummins, Andrew Tye, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Nathan Lyon