It’s hard to imagine Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir getting a game together. The Delhi pair last featured in 2’“5 March 2013 vs Australia and on 17 December 2012 vs England respectively.
BCCI and MS Dhoni are looking towards the future – a GenNext Indian team that could evaporate the 2011 Test debacle in Australia where the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid failed to inspire the side and thus return with a 4-0 thrashing.
But come this December 2014, a 19-member team will try to go ‘evens stevens’ against the mighty Aussies that are known to decimate the opposition with their fierce fasting bowling.
With that said, didn’t the selectors have gone for some experience heads like Virender Sehwag or Gautam Gambhir in the team?
Besides MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, none of the young turks have played a Test on Aussie soil except for Ishant Sharma who had featured in 2008.
But there will be supporters and critics on both sides of the fence for the likes of Sehwag or Zaheer. None of the experienced ‘seniors’ have made a promising start in the domestic tournament that could impress the selectors. In a Vijay Hazare One-Day match held recently, luck did not go by Virender Sehwag who failed to open his account for domestic team.
Yuvraj Singh also played a part in the game for Punjab as the southpaw could only muster 15 runs. As for Gautam Gambhir, the 2011 World Cup Final hero added 22 runs in the match that saw Delhi thrash Punjab. Not too long ago, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar entrusted the fact that Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh have a role to play in the 2015 World Cup.
Speaking to a channel, Gavaskar said “It is understandable that the selection committee is looking at new faces. They already know what Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh are capable of. If they show tremendous form in domestic matches, they’ll certainly be in the frame. I won’t rule them out at all.”
It’s hard to imagine Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir getting a game together. The Delhi pair last featured in 2–5 March 2013 vs Australia and on 17 December 2012 vs England respectively. Gautam Gambhir was in the team that lost to England recently and had failed to impress the selectors and critics alike.
The same can be said of Indian pace veteran Zaheer Khan. Injuries and poor form has beleaguered the Mumbai cricketer and a satisfactory show at the 2014 South Africa and New Zealand series was not enough to land a place in the India Whites. Team India might miss an experienced campaigner in Zaheer Khan but his match fitness raises a big issue whether he can last a full series.
The 36-year old was included in the series against the Proteas and the Kiwis early this year but his absence from the England tour puts a question mark as to whether the left-armer has a future with the side or not.
