Chennai, Jan. 27: Kris Srikkanth, chairman of selectors, feels the upcoming Test series against South Africa will be a tough assignment for India. The team for the two-Test and three ODI series is to be picked in Mumbai on Thursday and with four players injured during the second Test against Bangladesh, the committee has quite a task on its hand.
“I am confident of our bench strength. There is enough talent to fill in. But if we are expecting an overnight replacement for someone like Rahul Dravid, it’s not possible. Injuries are a part and parcel of the game and we have to learn to live with it,” said Srikkanth during a chat with this newspaper.
Having won their last four Tests, Dhoni and Co. are on a roll and Srikkanth is pleased with the form of the top-order. “In a series against a quality side it is crucial for the main batsmen to be in good flow. Each one of them has been among the runs and that augurs well for the side,” he said.
V.V.S. Laxman who suffered an injury in his left hand is expected to be fit in time for the Nagpur Test while Dravid and Yuvraj Singh might miss the opener against the Proteas. Tamil Nadu’s S. Badrinath is the front-runner to replace Dravid while Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma could fight for the vacancy created by the injury to Yuvraj.
Karnataka’s Manish Pandey who registered a hundred in the Ranji Trophy final could also be in the reckoning.
The bowling combination is likely to remain the same except for Sreesanth who is down with a side strain. The speedster walked off the field in Dhaka and could be out of action for at least two weeks. Abhimanyu Mithun is expected to make the cut as the fourth seamer.
In his maiden first class season, Mithun grabbed 50 wickets in 10 matches (including the ongoing Duleep Trophy) and has impressed the national selectors with his pace and lift.
The 2-0 win in Bangladesh has put India five points clear of second placed South Africa in the ranking charts and even a drawn series will be enough for India to cling on to the top spot. The medium pace department has had it’s role to play.
“The rhythm of Zaheer Khan was the biggest positive from the series. It’s important for the spearhead to be in good form when you are facing a team like South Africa. Zaheer brought his experience to play well and he is easily one of the better new ball exponents in the world today,” Srikkanth said.
The selectors will also name the Board President XI squad to play the visitors in a two-day game at Nagpur on February 2 and 3.
V. BALAJI
