CHENNAI: Sixteen or 17 or 18. These are numbers the selection committee led by MSK Prasad has to deliberate on when they sit down to pick the Test squad for the series against England. In an ideal scenario, this should have been an easy choice.
But when they meet sometime next week, the job will be tougher because of the injury to pacer Jasprit Bumrah, which will see him miss the three-match ODI series before the Tests. Here is what the selectors have got on their plate.
Second spinner dilemma
Three spinners will be a crowd in England. And rarely in the recent past have India carried as many for a Test series outside the sub-continent. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, on the virtue of being the No 3 and No 5 in ICC Test rankings, should ideally walk in. But the team management seems to be in favour of wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal for the Tests.
It’s not easy to leave out two best spinners in the world, who have contributed immensely to India’s rise to top of the rankings. But as things stand now, Jadeja is out. Captain Virat Kohli wanted Chahal for the Test series in South Africa, which was shot down by Prasad. Whether he pays attention to the same request this time remains to be seen.
Express understands that with three left-handers in England’s top-order, leaving out Ashwin isn’t an option. But with Kuldeep in the mix, who can take the ball away from southpaws, including Chahal would be a bold move.
Saha or Karthik
Wriddhiman Saha has been India’s first-choice wicketkeeper. This team has made it amply clear that when fit, he would stand behind the stumps. There have been occasions when the Bengal stumper was injured and Parthiv Patel took his place and did well. But the question this time is whether Saha is still the first choice.
Dinesh Karthik seems to have become the preferred option, thanks to his better batting skills. He would provide better balance to the side if India choose to play five specialist batsmen. But does it mean India will travel for a five-match series with only one wicketkeeper? If they include three spinners, then it leaves no place for a second wicketkeeper.
Pace headache
The injury to Bumrah has given a new headache to the selectors. It is understood that the bowler, who underwent surgery on Wednesday on his fractured thumb, would be fit by the time the second Test begins. There are also doubts over Mohammed Shami’s availability since he failed to clear the fitness test, which ruled him out of the Test against Afghanistan.
If Shami isn’t fit, then India have to look elsewhere for seam bowling options. Deepak Chahar, currently part of India T20 team, is one of the contenders alongside Shardul Thakur. But the Rajasthan seamer would be more suited to English conditions thanks to his ability to move the ball.
India picked five pacers for South Africa to go with all-rounder Hardik Pandya and that combination is likely to continue in England.
venkatakrishna@newindianexpress.com