Instances when underserving players were picked over younger or better performing players

[Vijy]

1 hour ago, AKane said:

I always wondered about Dinesh Mongia in the 2003 WC.....What exactly was his role in the team? Bowler? Batsman?

 

Despite Zaheer Khan (and his almost drunken first over) - Harbhajan claiming Gilchrist and Hayden had tapped down the run rate a bit. Kumble might - might have helped there. Mongia did not at all and part timers like Sachin bowled like crap.

mongia was selected for batting insurance. Both Ind + SL in general favored the 7 batsman theory with some of the batsmen acting as part-timers. even in 2011 WC, the inclusion of Raina at No. 7 made a big difference. In 2003, it would have been very bold to play 6 batsmen and have a bowler at No. 7. We were severely lacking in ARs at that stage. Since Mongia was a better who could bowl, he was chosen.

 

I am not here to defend that decision, though - just trying to deduce what TM could have been thinking at the time. what they should have done was to play a bowling/batting AR instead IMO.

[vvvslaxman]

2 hours ago, R!TTER said:

Or bloomed under him in 2021, or do we forget the win down under?

 

Not sure you can say they were groomed. They were selected for T20. With no options left they were picked. Who would have thought. We unearthed couple of gems (Sundar  & Thakur)