Chennai, Dec. 11: With five one-dayers in South Africa to go before the World Cup, India may see themselves possessing a surfeit of batting riches. However, the same cannot be said of bowling. Their slow bowling combination and poor performance in the death overs is something to ponder about. With Mahendra Singh Dhoni fixated on a 7-4 blend, the workload on the part-timers will be high. And it will be interesting to see how they will stand up to the pressures of the World Cup. Harbhajan Singh is the only automatic choice in the squad. Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha brings in control during the middle overs but R. Ashwin, with his doosra, is far more creative and can be considered for the second specialist’s slot.
“To go into the World Cup with one specialist spinner will not be the ideal scenario. My second spinner will be a left-arm spinner or a leg-spinner for variety. At the same time Ashwin has been good and more importantly bowls with a clean action. If the two best bowlers are Ashwin and Harbhajan then go ahead with them. But Ashwin has to move better in the field to make a mark,” said spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi.
National Cricket Academy chairman Anil Kumble is also happy with the performance of Ashwin but is unable to understand why Ojha is being rested before the World Cup. “Harbhajan Singh is always there but I am not sure why Ojha is being rested. Amit Mishra also needs the backing of the team management,” said Kumble. E.A.S. Prasanna, who in his heyday, traumatised batsmen with flight, is not against part-timers if they can get the job done. “What specialist spinner? The days of a specialist spinner in limited overs are long over. It has now boiled down to economy. In the case of Harbhajan, the batsmen tend to play him safely but as the spearhead he must find a way to get wickets,” said Prasanna.
The recent exploits of Yusuf Pathan has made him a certainty for the ICC event. Always a staunch supporter for more all-rounders in the side, Bedi begs to differ on this.
“Yusuf has only made life difficult for everyone with the century. Suddenly everyone seems to be talking about him. But as a bowler I would still fancy my chances against his style of batting and bowlers will be able to sort him out,” added Bedi.