Cricket

Replacements have chance to impress

Until recently things were looking really good for India. Serious contenders for the mantle of the world’s best team, they were consistently beating other top teams in all formats. Then the disastrous ICC World Twenty20 campaign happened, and questions have begun to be asked.

The holders crashed out in the Super Eight stage amid rumours of player rifts, with captain MS Dhoni’s leadership under fire. The team has an immediate chance to get things back on track in the Caribbean and prove that recent events have been a blip and not the start of a decline.

The squad charged with the task of this mini rebuilding job is a new-look one. Four first choice ODI players – Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina – are missing through injury, whilst Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan have been dropped.

Their replacements are familiar faces, the selectors deciding to give second chances rather than fresh ones – the only prospective international debutant is Abhishek Nayer, who is nearly 26 and far from an adventurous pick.

Ravindra Jadeja made an excellent impression in his only previous ODI appearance, hitting an unbeaten 60 against Sri Lanka in February and was always likely to return at some point. Similarly, RP Singh’s spell on the sidelines never looked like bringing an end to his international career.

Batsmen Subramaniam Badrinath and Murali Vijay appeared further away from recalls and it is surprising that their latest chances have come in coloured clothing. Both seem better suited to Test cricket, the arena in which Vijay has previously experienced international action.

However, the player whose recall has raised most eyebrows is Ashish Nehra. With Zaheer Khan, RP Singh and Irfan Pathan ahead of the 30-year old in the left arm pacemen pecking order, the prospects of a recall looked slim.

The selectors are clearly happy to consult Indian Premier League form – Lakshmi Balaji is another injury prone bowler who was reselected after a long spell in the wilderness thanks to his IPL showings – but many Indian fans will want the selectors to look forward.

The new, old faces will need to take their opportunity, as there is plenty of experience ready to step back in. There is also youth, in the form of Manish Pandey and co., pressing for a chance.

At the moment though, it’s that time of year again when attention turns to 2009 ashes betting and keeping up to date with movements in the Ashes odds. If you need to get in the betting mood, check out Betfair’s great fanvfan site.