CHENNAI: In the 48 hours since their defeat to New Zealand in Pune, much has been said about India being in transition and the historic home streak that has finally come to an end.
The players, captain and team management might still be processing the loss while looking for a quick turnaround in Mumbai on Friday. But before they take the field at the Wankhede Stadium, a different group of players will be doing everything in their power to grab some attention halfway across the world.
The India A squad, which already reached Australia for the two unofficial Tests, will play their first match beginning Thursday. And more than ever before, this A-series could mark a significant point in Indian Test cricket going forward. For the first time in a while, several players from India A have a realistic chance of making it to the senior side. It is not that the past A tours have not been the case, but in the last decade, the crux of India’s batting has been packed in such a way that it has been close to impossible for anyone to break in.
This time, however, that is not the case. Rohit Sharma is 37, and Virat Kohli is 35. Although one can safely assume that chances of them being dropped in the next 12 months are close to nil, their record in the past year has been below-par. And where they are in their career would mean the batters on this tour have a chance at making a case for themselves.
Take Abhimanyu Easwaran for example. The Bengal batter has been piling on runs for years, and now, the India call-up has come as he was included in the squad for the Australia tour as a back-up opener. Then there is B Sai Sudharsan. The left-hander has made runs wherever he went and has already played for India in both the white-ball formats.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, another opener who could throw his hat in the ring, too would be itching to have a go. There is Devdutt Padikkal. He played for India in the Dharamsala Test against England, but hasn’t been able to secure his spot. The middle-order is even harder to get in and he knows it all too well. And so does B Indrajith who kept toiling in the domestic circuit and finally got a deserving call-up. And it doesn’t stop there.
On his comeback trail, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan will be motivated to prove a point. He is competing with not just one but two keepers in Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel. Even as Washington Sundar seems to be the second-choice offie at this point, Tanush Kotian has impressed every chance he has got. So has left-arm spinner Manav Suthar. And of course, Nitish Kumar Reddy will be the big project of pace-bowling all-rounder for India in the longest format.
For every player in the senior side, every spot in the playing XI, there is a player who is auditioning as a back-up. And it is a good thing. It only means that the system is working as it has for years. To give an example, when India A team toured Australia in July 2014, the likes of KL Rahul (he would make a Test debut in Melbourne months down the line) and Jasprit Bumrah (he took a fifer on his first-ever red-ball outing in Australia) were a part of the contingent.
Ten years on, Indian cricket is at a similar point where they will need the next batch of players to come in seamlessly. Even as the home streak had ended, it could also mark the beginning of a new chapter as it did a decade ago. And the first few pages could be the A-series Down Under.
Squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, Baba Indrajith, Ishan Kishan (WK), Abishek Porel (WK), Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian