Spinning Spice in Routine Affair
CHENNAI: In a distinct deviation from past designs, of unwavering emphasis on youngsters and forging a young nucleus, the Indian selectors chose the long-sidelined, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for the solitary Test in Bangladesh.
It was reasoned the predominance of left-handers in the Bangladesh line-up prompted the 34-year-old’s inclusion, though the lack of quality contenders for allying Ravichandran Ashwin too contributed. It seemed a retrograde stride, but their logic cut sense, given the circumstances.
Applying the same logic, Harbhajan should retain his spot in the side that tours Sri Lanka in August, the members of the squad to be drawn up when the selectors convene in New Delhi on Thursday. Sri Lanka’s batting line-up, like Bangladesh’s, has a high proportion of left-handers. Five of their top seven are southpaws.
Moreover, Harbhajan brings an abundance of experience, having been part of three expeditions to Sri Lanka, though the average of 46.92 doesn’t exactly suggest menace. However, bookended by largely disappointing series in 2008 and 2012, the Turbanator had a reasonably productive 2008, his 16 wickets coming at 28.12 and playing a definitive role in India’s 170-run win in Galle.
It was not the romance of his glorious feats of the past that fetched him a comeback, but the blatant truth that there are few quality spinners plying the domestic circuit worthy enough to be handed out international exposure. And with a slew of series lined up in the subcontinent, against competent sides, the selectors deemed it wiser to choose experience over promise.
In the 22.5 overs he bowled in his comeback in Fatullah, he didn’t roll back those heady years, but showed enough promise to warrant another Test. “He bowled okay in that Test. Was a bit nervous initially but recovered well as the match progressed. Again, the match was interrupted by rain and he didn’t get long spells as he would have liked. It disrupted his rhythm a bit. But I think he bowled well enough to deserve another chance. It shouldn’t matter whether we are playing two off-spinners or two leg-spinners, as long as they are your best options,” reckoned former spinner Maninder Singh.
In fairness, India have few compelling alternatives beyond Harbhajan and R Ashwin, more so after leg-spinner Karn Sharma sustained a fracture during the Zimbabwe tour. This has opened up a slot for the third spinner, likely to be decided between Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha or Axar Patel. Mishra’s chances are bolstered by the precedence of Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah harassing Sri Lanka’s batsmen. However, Mishra hasn’t played a Test since the 2011 England tour and has been an outsider of sorts for the selectors.
Ojha, meanwhile, has returned from an action tweak, after which he has been largely unprofitable. Axar’s utility is widely doubted in the longest format. “Mishra is a good bet. He is a leg-spinner, experienced and has variations,” Maninder observed.
Overall, there wouldn’t be any radical changes to the side that visited Bangladesh. Since Mohammed Shami is still rehabilitating at the NCA, the selectors are likely to persist with the same batch of pacers — Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Batsman KL Rahul, who missed the one-off Test due to flu, too will return. Should there be room for a 16th member, the selectors might choose Naman Ojha, who can be a middle-order batsman and back-up wicketkeeper too.
Who will Get Lanka Ticket?
Karn Sharma
The leg-spinning all-rounder, who shot to limelight following superb performances for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2013 IPL season, was the third spinner in the Test squad for Bangladesh. He missed the Zimbabwe tour due to an injury. Was mediocre on Test debut, the only match he played in Australia last year.
Axar Patel
Rose to fame in the 2014 IPL, where he was hard to get away with his stump-to-stump line. After making his India debut in an ODI against Zimbabwe last year, he did well in the ODIs against Sri Lanka and in the tri-series Down Under.
Amit Mishra
The veteran leg-spinner has been picked for the ongoing A series against Australia, probably a sign that he is part of selectors’ plans. Though he has been selected only for limited-over matches in the last 12 months, including in the World T20 last year, he has an impressive first-class record — 471 wickets in 134 games at 29.14.