There must have been the worry of injuries to some players, but as there are still over three weeks to go before the tournament commences, it must have been deemed as enough time for muscles to mend and full fitness to be restored.
As at least three of those on the injured list were medium pacers, it would have appeared prudent to take along five of these players in case of a recurrence of old injuries or apprehended breakdowns which are not uncommon in a cramped contest of such intensity.
However, reassuringly, Munaf Patel appears to have regained most of his fitness and form and he clearly will be the spearhead of our pace attack. Support will come from Agarkar, who fortuely, has become less profligate than he used to be and Irfan Pathan who hopefully will recapture his god-given ability to swing the new ball, a device with which he used to demolish many an international side.
Zaheer khan is now a re-invented entity: the rythm is back and so is his striking power. Young Sreesanth is a gamble. His aggression is infectious and can only be good for the team.
Sreesanth's waywardness with the new ball needs to be curbed, but he must not be told to get robotic. They are free spirits, some wild and their rare talent should be let loose on the opposition. Molding them and expecting them to follow could indeed be counter productive.
Is the inclusion of five pacers a luxury we could have done without? (particularly with Ganguly also chipping in if required). May be not in view of their proneness to injury.
Presuming that Uthappa will open with Ganguly (though personally, I would have Tendulkar partner him) and then have Dravid, Tendulkar, Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni as specialist batsmen. Then there are the all-rounder Pathan and Agarkar. A formidable line-up by any standards. Could we then have done without Kaarthick, who has been selected as a pure batsman.
And indeed Sehwag is a match-winner on his day and a more than useful off spinner to boot. But pray, why, when his form was under scrutiny in the Rajkot match, was he not required to bowl a single over? And he failed with the bat. His inclusion was pre-decided. And, to my mind, justifiable.
The selectors had decided on the squad much before they sat down for the meeting and were taking a calculated risk with those who currently were on the injured list.
Certain players might feel a little aggrieved, like Gautam Gambhir for instance, but fate plays funny tricks sometimes. When you are given a chance, you have to grab it or else you miss the boat.
With Mohammed Kaif and Suresh Raina's omission, the team has lost vital fielding cogs (particularly in areas within the circle) and it is up to the captain to plug the gaps.
Overall fielding, not conceding unnecessary extras, and purposeful running between wickets are to be particularly needed if the team is to make a mark and cross the semi final barrier. -PTI
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