The Indian Selection Puzzle

India is a country captivated by cricket and any decision surrounding the Indian cricket team catches attention, be it good, bad, or puzzling. For long, Indian cricket board has been called the richest cricket board and boasts of best facilities and exposure that can be given to a player in the form of National Cricket Academy (NCA) and Indian Premier League (IPL). Amidst all these resources and opportunities, a group of people play an integral role in determining the Indian team’s success at international level with the pinnacle being to win the world events. Indian selectors are generally former cricketers who are expected to work closely with the coach and captain to form the best possible team among the players at disposal.

The past week has led to a lot of backlashes for the selectors and few players selected owing to some unexpected selections in the team for West Indies tour. To name a few, Ruturaj Gaikwad was selected in the test and one day international team while ignoring likes of Sarfaraz Khan and Abhimanyu Easwaran. At the same time, a player of the pedigree of Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped while Ajinkya Rahane who just came back into the team one test ago was made the vice-captain. We will look at 2 puzzling decisions and see whether the Indian selection is really a puzzle or there is something hidden behind the same

Ruturaj vs High average Ranji Batters

Ruturaj Gaikwad has shown tremendous technique and talent during the IPL, but his Ranji Trophy numbers are just about average with a batting average of 42. With his selection, it has been assumed that his IPL prowess can be translated into the longest form of the game. On the other hand, Sarfaraz Khan has been in Bradmanesque form for the past 3–4 seasons but has failed to get an opportunity to play for the Indian Test Team. There are reports on his attitude or physical fitness, but no clear reason has been given on his continued exclusion.

Verdict: While selectors have attributed fitness concern as a reason for Sarfaraz’s exclusion, there has not been any correlation with Ranji Trophy numbers for selecting the test team. It seems that IPL performance has been given more preference in selection of a team.

Recommendation: Indian Selection team can start assigning due weightage to IPL and Ranji Trophy to select the team. In olden days, the present system of selection would have ensured that players like Pujara would never be in the test team and bring glory to the team.

The Pujara Conundrum with a new vice-captain

The present test team has a bunch of players who are approaching their retirement days and the form is also not giving them company. 2 players who have been under the spotlight are Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Ajinkya Rahane was dropped from the team last year and made a comeback this year in the world test championship final against Australia. Similarly, Pujara was also dropped in between but did the hard grind in the domestic circuit and made a comeback last year. However, in the present selection for the West Indies tour, Pujara has been dropped and 30+ year old Rahane has been made the vice-captain.

Verdict: While the decision to drop Pujara may be partially right with an eye on the future but making Rahane the vice-captain with a 36-year-old captain is definitely not a vision for the future. It seems that the selection panel is taking a backward step and have no clarity on the future of Indian cricket.

Recommendation: The older players will have to face the axe at some point of time owing to their performance but there is a need for a smooth transition and consistency in the thought process. The selectors should have made a youngster like Shubman Gill or in future Shreyas Iyer as the vice-captain so that they can be groomed to take over the reins of the Indian cricket team but also build a famed batting line up that India has always possessed.

Overall Verdict: It seems that the selection panel is not having a vision for Indian cricket and has some external influence which is clouding their judgement. It is time for Indian selection to go the Australian way where the captain and coach take major calls in who should be selected instead of just being a side voice.