The hurly burly of contemporary cricket does not allow cricket boards more flexibility, else it makes little sense to choose the one-day team for the tri-series in between the most riveting Test series in recent times.
Consider this: India have just recorded a fantastic victory over Australia at Perth, and a day later, three of the stalwarts who starred in that famous win now find themselves out of favour.
As in batting, timing is of essence in team selection too, but I suppose the hands of the selectors were tied. I would hope that Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly are seasoned enough to take this knock in their stride, especially the last-named who has acquitted himself with distinction in limited-overs cricket in the last year.
It is always upsetting for a touring side when drastic changes have to be introduced. It can tamper with the momentum and rhythm of the team, and in this instance, even the high sense of camaraderie which has helped India fight back so splendidly against the best team in the world, and in extremely mitigating circumstances.
That said, compunctions about the fielding abilities of this seasoned trio are not entirely misplaced, more so on the large grounds in Australia. Dravid and Laxman were perhaps never in the running, but Ganguly was seen to struggle in the field in the Tests.
Whether his wonderful batting form, and his handy medium-pace would not have offset this drawback is a moot point and has not been adequately explained by the selectors.
In fairness to the selectors, they have plumped not only wholesale for youth, but rewarded those who have performed splendidly in domestic tournaments.
Retaining Ishant Sharma, of course, was an inspired move. Only Tendulkar from the Famous Four retains his place, and there is no ‘controversial’ selection I can think of.
Of greater immediacy, of course, is the final Test at Adelaide which begins in a few days from now. That’s where the ‘discards’ still have a crucial role to play.
India should go into that game riding high on the Perth triumph, and it devolves again on skipper Anil Kumble to ensure that all his players are in the right frame of mind to take on the Aussies, who will undoubtedly be smarting after the Perth defeat.
Kumble has loomed over this series like a colossus — in performance and even more so in leadership. He has to now address his senior pros, both personally and professionally, of this priority.
All the players dropped from the one-day team have played with him for over a decade, so there will undoubtedly be strong empathy for them. But as captain, he also knows he has a big task on hand to try and level the series.
He will want nothing less than hundred per cent from Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly.
Indeed, there was a case for Kumble to stay back for the one-day series as philosopher and guide to Dhoni’s team.
Having quit the one-day game, he is no threat to anybody. But so huge has been his influence on this tour that the selectors might worry he would dwarf the one-day captain.
The best scenario in the circumstances would be for Kumble inspiring the three senior pros to make sizable contributions in winning the Adelaide Test.
That would leave behind a legacy for Dhoni and Co to emulate in the one-day series and make this the most unforgettable tour in Indian cricket history.
