The new selection committee headed by Sandeep Patil may have been a tad conservative in picking the squad for the first two Tests against England, but they can’t be faulted for being practical and waiting for a better assessment of fresh talent before introducing them in Tests.
It is arguable if the fading Harbhajan Singh really deserves recall, though he’s there only as a reserve spinner to Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha.
The unlucky one may have been Manoj Tiwary, but in the selectors’ assessment Ajinkya Rahane is a middle-order batsman and not an opener. Murali Vijay was recalled not only to act as cover for the injured Virender Sehwag but also to put pressure on underperforming openers Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, who haven’t been able to play to their own high standards. The message is clear: shape up or ship out.
Ishant Sharma, once lauded as the best young pace prospect in world cricket, had a series of injuries that hampered his development, while Zaheer Khan is clearly past his prime. But then India’s formidable home record has been built on a foundation of spin, which must continue to perform to make up for a batting lineup shorn of a couple of all-time greats in Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman, leaving only an ageing Sachin Tendulkar to carry the pennant.