Today, the match started with the score at 346/5, with the Indian top order having delivered a performance many would have expected coming into this series. The platform was set for a big first innings score, and Yuvraj Singh strode to the middle, knowing that today could be day that would form the basis of his future in Test whites. On a placid pitch and against a tiring attack, he would have to achieve a big score to guarantee his place for the third match.
What he did manage on his way to a score of 25 was a missed pull and an ugly looking swipe to get out to Darren Sammy. This means that the search for a No.6 in the Indian batting line-up continues and there are more names than ever in the hat to replace Yuvraj for the series in Australia. Let us now examine the future of the No.6 in the Indian batting line-up.
For starters, we have the two batsmen currently in the squad, i.e. Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. Kohli is, to my mind, the front runner for his continued performance in one dayers, he is ranked in the top 10, but has already got a series under his belt against the Windies where he flopped on all occasions. However, the selectors must surely be running out of batsmen in India who can face Australia’s fast bowling unit with any degree of comfort. And this is where Rahane can make his mark.
Having been on several academy and A tours to traditionally difficult destinations such as Australia and South Africa, and having scored buckets of runs in those, Rahane is one man who can handle the pace. But will the selectors risk exposing him to an attack that is both fast and lethal in home conditions? And him being released to play for Mumbai in the Ranji might also mean he is being given practice before the third test.
Of course, the previous holder of the spot, Suresh Raina, has been forced back into Ranji cricket and he too has come good, scoring a 200 against a fellow India outcaste, Harbhajan Singh. But his continued lack of comfort against the fast, rising ball is now well documented and the Aussies will see him as a walking wicket. Other than that, the selectors, who themselves have survived a period of transition not long back, will not want to look shifty and give him back the spot in such a hurry.
Another Ranji hopeful, Ravindra Jadeja has made his claims for a test spot by continuing to perform in the Ranji. If the selectors are looking for an aggressive left- hander who can bowl, Jadeja might be coming onto the forefront of the selectors radar. Also, a Ranji triple can never be ignored. But even he has been known to succumb to pace and short bowling, two things the Australian bowling attack is not short of.
A personal favourite of mine to take over the slot is Rohit Sharma. He does not boast the greatest of international records in one-day matches, but his technique has no real flaws and his consistent record in the Ranji (average of 64), means he is a player for the longer format of the game. He can also counter attack as well as roll his arm over. Of course, he would also fit aesthetically into a middle order of Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman. The selectors don’t seem to think the same, and he is far from making a debut in a test match it seems and even seems to be fighting for his place in the one-day squad. His form is currently exemplary, two consecutive centuries in Ranji, but we might have to wait a while for him to be considered a hopeful for the No.6 slot.
This leaves us to the final contender, who could have actually sealed this berth had he been fit. Cheteshwar Pujara, a man who had to knock the proverbial door down to get a test berth, has now been out of the game for the best part of a year, and there continues to be no news about his condition. Of all the hopefuls, he had the best opportunity to close this debate, but with his ill-times injury, has missed out on key tours where the selectors continue to chop and change. With his tight technique and ability to rack up big scores, he really should be the front runner, whenever he is capable of wielding the bat again. This injury break has really set his career back in a time where he could have cemented his place alongside the legendary trio.
All this means the selection for the next match will be closely followed to see who has the next opportunity to book the No.6 after it was left vacant by Ganguly more than 3 years ago. Who is your pick among the contenders?
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