Rohit Sharma removes strings from his bat handle during a training session ahead of the first Test in Galle. (AP Photo)
For three Indian batsmen — Shikhar Dhawan, Abhinav Mukund and Rohit Sharma — their immediate future in Test cricket will be on the line when/if they take the field in the first of the three-match series against Sri Lanka beginning in Galle on Wednesday.
It’s more by default than design that Dhawan and Mukund find themselves on the brink of a Test return. Had Murali Vijay and KL Rahul been fit, Abhinav would have been deputed the drinks-fetching duties and Dhawan wouldn’t have even boarded the flight to Sri Lanka. Rohit’s inclusion was not induced by circumstances, though there were those who thought that Karun Nair, who couldn’t back up his triple hundred against England with substantial knocks, ought to have been given a longer rope.
But here they are, in the shadow of the ramparts of an old beach town and offered a shot at redemption. If they accomplish the task, it would gives India an ideal build-up for the lengthy overseas sojourn that begins when they set sails for South Africa later this year.
Their comebacks also betray the reality that India, though the No 1 Test side in the world, are far from a fully grooved-in bunch that can consistently mount a challenge in foreign conditions. There is a dot here to connect, or a loose end there to knot. Like figuring out who is putting pins on the back of a hoodoo doll as the first-choice opening pair are frequently picking injuries. Or spotting the perfect No 6. Or unearthing a utilitarian pace-bowling all-rounder.
The predicament of India’s most established opening pair should irritate Kohli the most. It has come to a stage where he can no longer just cuss his stars, for it has blown up into a much graver headache, a reason Kohli gets slightly irritated these days by the word “happy headaches”.
Of course, little can be done about injuries or illness, as is the case with Rahul this time, but it nevertheless renders the team with uncertainty before Test matches. At least subconsciously the captain will be a touch sweaty about them.
More destructively, it can gradually start to torment the injured batsman’s mind too, as Rahul had admitted during the practice match. “I am still very nervous,” he told bcci.tv. “The body is still very unsure and it keeps holding me back every time. That’s the biggest challenge coming back from injury,” he added. He almost sounded as if he was spooked out. The last thing Kohli would want is his opener to be a mental wreck.
The best way to prepare for such adversities, as the cliche goes, is to develop adequate bench strength. It gives the team, as Kohli says, an opportunity to test the reserves. In that sense, their injuries were a blessing in disguise. For at least one of Dhawan and Mukund will get to play all three Tests, which means the selectors can get a better clarity on the third-choice opener. If both of them struggle, they can start scouting for fresher alternatives.
That’s how Kohli assesses the situation.
“What I like to do in these situations is think positive, the moment you panic then that negative energy starts creeping up. I like to see it as an opportunity for the guys stepping in and that’s what the guys stepping in believe as well,” he says.
Graver concerns
But at least in the openers’ case, Kohli knows his best opening pair. That, though, isn’t the case with the No 6 batsman. While Kohli was a fierce advocate of the five-bowler theory in his early days as captain, he has gradually started buying the wisdom of playing six batsmen. Only twice have India played with five bowlers in the last 12 Tests.
Should he opt against a fifth bowler, Rohit would be the obvious beneficiary, and he would stride onto the ground with the same complex set of questions hanging over him. As whether he would translate his immense promise into tangible scores, the kind he is accustomed to in the shorter versions. It’s a tad unfortunate that Rohit picked up an injury during the New Zealand series last year just when he had scripted two fine half-centuries, knocks that not only demonstrated his silkiness but also his inner steel. In Kolkata, he methodically shepherded the lower order, curbed his flashy instincts and implied that he has matured enough to handle the demands of batting at No 6.
It bodes well for the team, if Rohit can replicate such form and temperament, as and when he gets the opportunity. For he brings with him lots of experience, flair and match-winning abilities, besides fitting into Kohli’s aggression-first template.
Can Pandya step up?
The prolonged and successful home season glossed over one glaring crack in India’s armoury—a pace-bowling all-rounder. Kohli knows from experience the balance one of the ilk brings. “In the last Test here, we were a batsman short and the fifth bowler didn’t do much in the game. But in the next two Tests, we played one (Stuart Binny) and that made all the difference,” he reflected.
It’s long since the Binny experiment was shunned, but Hardik Pandya is considered an upgrade on Binny. His bowling certainly is, though his batting is still suspect. He is in Kohli’s good books too.
“Every game that he plays, on any surface, he has a knack of picking up wickets. He has a great chance of playing here as well,” he said. His inclusion, of course, depends on several variables, such as the pitch and the balance Kohli wants in this side. If Pandya indeed makes his debut, it would add to the coincidence of making international debuts on picturesque grounds (Dharamsala, Adelaide). At least, it wouldn’t be a painful coincidence for Kohli, as it’s with the openers.
