The Ins & Outs of India’s ODI selection Continued

You read about the Outs here, now how about the Ins

Jatman is in. And he brings with him his various avatars of Viru and Sehwag and Virender, there’s more to both the cricketer and the individual. In a few days he will be 31, wonder what that means to him?

Yuvraj is in, so much for bowling all-rounders like Yusuf Pathan. It’s an ODI series, naturally Yuvi will bowl and bat high up, but I’m more interested where and how he will field?

Munaf Patel. He has his moments, then he has brainless ones too. In the Challenger he bowled a madcap over to last man, Dinda. Two nothing short balls, 2 and 4 runs. He lost it, his team lost it too. Then when Dinda wanted to shake hands, he walked past, lifting shirt high enough to wipe brow sweat. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Then Munna returned the following day, and blew MSD’s India Blue apart. If there’s one lesson here, don’t save Munna for the slog overs. Better still, don’t save him. Spend all ten of him on the trot. Otherwise he gets the trots.

More than Munna the bowler, I like Munna the batsman – frankly he’s the only exciting batsman in the team. I’ve said so before, here – even against Mendis when the team was clueless, he swept with élan. The other day he played an ugly one handed sweep, it was breathtaking. He has it in him to the ugliest, most effective lower order slogger. Way uglier than Bhajji.

Ravindra Jadeja: Hope he gets his share of chances and converts. Hope, like him, another kid from Saurashtra gets a break too – where are you Che? Jadeja is only twenty, don’t hold that aginst him – give him as many chances as Yusuf, if not more – Jadeja bowls left arm spin, bats middle order and plays for the Rajasthan Royals. Who’s next, Warne?

Sudeep Tyagi – like the look of this 22 year old kid, esp. when he sends it down those 22 yards. Hope fitness isn’t a Catch 22 for him, and the Challenger is a pointer to bigger things to come. Be good to see a new quick like Tyagi make it, make the likes of RP, Ishant think more about their bowling now in their 20s. Can’t have everyone realising potential when they’re 30 plus. Jitu and Zaks are enough.