A balancing act

The Men in Blue are ready for the big battle that lies ahead, where they have the tremendous job of giving their best shot to retain the World Cup. In a way, the 15-member squad that was named on Tuesday is perhaps the best in the given circumstances. One should appreciate the selection committee for thinking of the country and not giving undue importance to any individual’s past records. By knitting a cohesive and balanced squad, the five wise men rendered a good job of it. It did not matter to them that the media was going all over town pitching for the previous edition hero Yuvraj Singh, who is well past his prime. His recent Ranji form notwithstanding, Yuvraj Singh was not even among the 30 probables for the World Cup.

Although, most players were near-automatic choices, a look at the composition that is Australia-bound shows a major shocker in the choice of Stuart Binny, whose credentials do not deserve a berth. If the Karnataka all-rounder could be considered, why were the credentials of Murali Vijay and Mohit Sharma ignored? It is a pity that there is no back-up opener in the squad, which has seven batsmen, four fast bowlers, three spinners and Ravindra Jadeja as an all-rounder. Mahendra Singh Dhoni will once again be the leader of the pack after having decided to retire from Tests. He needs more than luck in the February 14-March 28 quadrennial event as the odds will be stacked heavily against the defending champion.

As things stand, retaining the title would be a herculean task, if the form being dished out Down Under is a pointer. Although, the equations may change dramatically in the ensuing tri-series, the fact of the matter is that Indians have been deplorably abysmal almost every time they played on the Australian soil, which incidentally is hosting the event for the first time along with New Zealand.

There are already rumours of a dressing room division in the Indian camp. If bad vibes truly exist, then India can be out of contention, considering that Dhoni will be ill at ease while marshalling his resources. On that count, the onus will be on Dhoni and how he serves the aces. After all, one bad showing in the World Cup, his very place may come under cloud, which means that he will be fighting for survival. To the fans nothing short of bringing the Cup back will be acceptable. This over expectation could actually backfire with Dhoni being the fall guy.

Meanwhile, Telugus have a reason to celebrate because this marks the first time that two players will feature in the World Cup squad. Both Rohit Sharma (only payer with two double tons in ODIs) and Ambati Rayudu, who have since moved over to Mumbai and Baroda respectively, will be integral to the team’s prospects.