With just 5 ODIs to go, what will be India's WC squad?

[Sid]

:wall:

dont bang your head on the wall,i have corrected it,was in a hurry to write,mixed up two threads:--D

[ViruRulez]

That is what we have remaining before the Worldcup. Shouldn't we have identified our final 15 by now and start playing with those together? SRT/VS/GG (Vijay) Raina/Yuvraj/Kohli (Rohit/Pujara) Dhoni (Karthik/Uthappa) Harbhajan/Jadeja/Ashwin (Ojha) Zaheer/Sreesanth/Ishant (Praveen) That is my provisional 13. Another 2 picked from those in bracket. Probably one more Wk/ and a middle order bat . It is these 20 I would like to play together in ODIs for the next 3 months and finalise our 15 from it. It seems to me though that our selectors are going to keep testing the combos till the cut off date for squad submission.

PK is a must. Not sure about Ishant though. Ojha is a must. Not sure about Ashwin. Jadeja is still not sure though nearly a certainty. Rest seems ok.

[Feed]

With just 11 ODIs to go, what will be India's WC squad? With ICC World Cup just 11 ODIs away, Team India has to try all permutation and combination in order to pick the final eleven. More... Opinion: The battle of the bench With the ICC World Cup just eleven ODIs away, the best of the rest slug it out to earn a place in India's final eleven. By Ajesh Ramachandran There’s clearly something about an India-Australia clash these days. It makes a certain promise of high-quality cricket, close contests, dramatic performances, inspirational feats, and then promptly delivers all of the above. Make no mistake; the short ODI series against Australia at home is as important as they come. The third ODI in Goa is the last crack India will get at a consistently high quality opposition (apologies to New Zealand, the sufferers of the ‘Banglawash’) in sub-continental conditions before the big one – World Cup 2011, which is only 11 ODIs away for India. That’s just enough time for the team management to experiment a bit more before setting their plans in stone. The first of these experiments went India’s way in style, with a 5-wicket win over Australia in a match that went the distance at the rather indulgently named Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Vishakhapatnam. India of course, chose to rest seven of their first-choice players in an attempt to identify the bench-warmers who could potentially be match-winners. If Anne Robinson was in the selection committee, she’d probably ask aloud, “Come the World Cup, who will be drunk on runs, and who will be running the drinks? Who will be the weakest link?” Or the strongest link, as the case may be. An extremely pleasing aspect of the Test series was that it threw up answers rather than pose questions. Usually, after a Test series, we are left with more questions than answers. Here however, two fine answers to questions about the future of India’s Test cricket emerged in the form of Murali Vijay and young Cheteshwar Pujara. The ODI series seems to be continuing in the same vein, providing more answers. The talented Virat Kohli put his hand up in style, with a mature innings of 118 to provide one of them and hog the headlines. Earlier in the day, it was the turn of Ravichandran Ashwin, who quietly asked very probing questions to the Aussie batsmen and by doing that, presented more answers to the team management about the potential line-up, come February. It was nearly a year ago, on Christmas Eve 2009, at the Eden Gardens that Kohli first announced to the world that he truly belonged at this level. Coming in at number four, he made a breathtaking 107 in a 224-run stand with Delhi teammate Gautam Gambhir, who made his highest ODI score, an unbeaten 150. During a memorable presentation ceremony, Gambhir, the chosen Man of the Match, asked for the prize to be shared with Kohli. Their stars have gone separate ways since. In an injury-dogged 2010, Gambhir has featured in just ten ODI games since that grand day in Kolkata. Kohli on the other hand, had made 761 runs in 20 games since, with two hundreds at an average of nearly 45. What is interesting to note is that in all but one of these games, Kohli has been sent out to bat at number three, where he now averages 43.52 runs per innings. Going by the last year, one would imagine that this is where the team management sees him in the scheme of things to come. Gambhir though, given his sheer quality, will be odds on favourite to come back and reclaim the number 3 slot. Going back to that night in Kolkata – this was the last time the combined top order might of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir donned the India blues in an ODI together. Tendulkar and Sehwag opened the batting, and Gambhir played at one-drop. Is this the position he’ll be trying to reclaim? Where does that put Virat Kohli? Somewhere in that middle order, one would have to assume. With Suresh Raina and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as shoo-ins, there are two places still up for grabs. The contenders for those two slots would be the best of the rest – Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. On current form, it looks very difficult to deny Kohli his due. It looks like a straight fight between Yuvraj and Sharma. There’s much to play for in those 11 ODIs. Now for the other hero – Ravichandran Ashwin. Playing in only his second ODI, this young man from Chennai knew this was his moment and seized it. A day after he was born, a few miles away at the Chepauk, Allan Border had called the coin right and chose to bat in an epochal Test match that would end as Test cricket’s second tie. Aptly then, Ashwin’s chance had come against the same opposition and he didn’t disappoint. He played a pivotal role in restricting the Aussies to a chase-able score, conceding fewer than four runs an over and accounting for his Super Kings teammate, the dangerous Michael Hussey. With the established Harbhajan Singh in the team, it might be a luxury to have a back-up off spinner in a squad that already has at its disposal, the off-break offerings of Sehwag and Raina. But Harbhajan’s currency has been on the wane. While the selectors are still likely to put their weight behind his vast experience, young Ashwin will nevertheless be snapping at his heels. This is a race that is closer than it looks at the moment. Meanwhile, Dhoni’s left-field tactics raises visions. Will Ashwin be to him what Dipak Patel was to Martin Crowe in 1992? Don’t rule it out just yet. As far as the faster bowlers are concerned, India’s left-arm duo of Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan looks in fine nick. On current form, they should both make it comfortably. The third seamer’s spot seems like a many-way fight among Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Sreesanth, Vinay Kumar, Munaf Patel and whomever else the management wants to try out. And if the team wants to play an extra spin option, the left-arm orthodox department seems to be in the lead. Ravindra Jadeja and Pragyan Ojha have an edge over the two leggies, Amit Mishra and Piyush Chawla. Over the course of the next 11 ODIs will emerge the names of the 11 men who will take the field in blue on the 19th of February at Mirpur. Much will be tried until then and much will probably change. But in the midst of this uncertainty, we know one thing for sure. Much will depend on this squad’s success or lack of it, not least the future of the 50-over game itself.

[flamy]

dumb article. why would there be competition between yuvraj and nohit :hysterical: and he doesnt even talk abt the one spot that is not settled yet - the number 7

[girishk14]

I dont want to see Jadeja anywhere near the probables also. Contrary to Dhoni's opinion of him doing well with at least ball, the Lankans and Paks (better players of spin) can whack him to the cleaners in sl n ind pitches. And with the bat, I think hez scored rarely only against Zimb, Bang and second string SL. I dont see him scoring anything against steyn, murali, even gul or tuffey

[Sid]

wow article suggests yuvi competing with rohit for a spot:cantstop:

[Lord]

certainties SRT VS GG UV Raina Dhoni Bhajji Nehra near certainties Zak Kohli Ojha should be in DK(why is he not in current squad) should be given a chance Irfan Uthappa Munaf Ashwin

[flamy]

^ dude wtf where is namma namma PK :hitler:

[CSK Fan]

certainties SRT VS GG UV Raina Dhoni Bhajji Nehra near certainties Zak Kohli Ojha should be in DK(why is he not in current squad) should be given a chance Irfan Uthappa Munaf Ashwin

Never understood why Praveen Kumar is so under-rated in ODIs (thankfully not by the management). He has delviered in each and every series he has played and almost always gives us the early breakthorugh. He is a must have

[Lord]

^ dude wtf where is namma namma PK :hitler:

Never understood why Praveen Kumar is so under-rated in ODIs (thankfully not by the management). He has delviered in each and every series he has played and almost always gives us the early breakthorugh. He is a must have

sorry guys.missed him,hes in the certainties

[ShahidAfridi]

1st game against England, India must open bowling with a spinner Steven Davis is really crap vs spin

[Lord]

1st game against England, India must open bowling with a spinner Steven Davis is really crap vs spin

our 1st game is v Bangles

[ShahidAfridi]

our 1st game is v Bangles

ok 1st real game.

[vaibhav_delhi]

Sach,sehwag,gamby,kohli,uv,raina,dhoni,zak,nehra,pk,bhaj. Ashwin,ojha,vinay,munaf as backup. Sadly no bowling allrounder. chosing pathan may be a blunder imo.

[spectre]

I want to see Uthappa at No.7 for the WC. I just don't see how the management is ignoring his big hitting abilities

[rkt.india]

PK is a must. Not sure about Ishant though. Ojha is a must. Not sure about Ashwin. Jadeja is still not sure though nearly a certainty. Rest seems ok.

I dont think PK is too much of a worth in Indian Conditions...ball does not swing more than 2 overs and then he is cannon fodder

[Sid]

I dont think PK is too much of a worth in Indian Conditions...ball does not swing more than 2 overs and then he is cannon fodder

like our other seamers,why single out PK,and to his credit he changes the pace of the ball very well iin the death overs

[Lord]

like our other seamers,why single out PK,and to his credit he changes the pace of the ball very well iin the death overs

coz he doesnt have pace that Nehra,Zak have.he operates at mid 120s which is easy with no swing that is why I want Irfan to play.both depend on swing which they wont get in Indian conditions,PK might conced 5-10 less runs coz of accuracy,but Irfan can compensate that with batting,n hes a better fielder

[Sid]

coz he doesnt have pace that Nehra,Zak have.he operates at mid 120s which is easy with no swing that is why I want Irfan to play.both depend on swing which they wont get in Indian conditions,PK might conced 5-10 less runs coz of accuracy,but Irfan can compensate that with batting,n hes a better fielder

i dont remember last time when irfan last time swung the ball,if you do please remind me and i dont know why PK is so underrated,this guy most often performs whenever plays for India and we should end our fasciination with bowlers who can make runs,rather we should play bowlers who can take wickets and at the moment PK is more of a wicket taker than Irfan

[ZodiaC]

like our other seamers,why single out PK,and to his credit he changes the pace of the ball very well iin the death overs

How can he vary something that is nonexistent? :dontknow: