Updated: December 20, 2020 9:22:38 pm
Probably the biggest concern for India is Mohammed Shami’s injury, who has ruled him out of the series. (Photo: AP)
Virat Kohli’s absence, goalkeeper Wriddhiman Saha’s hitting form, and the collapse in Adelaide are big concerns, but probably the biggest one is Mohammed Shami’s injury that has ruled him out of the series. How will India take 20 plots now? How can they restrict Australia to a total that they can beat with their modified batting lineup for the Melbourne Boxing Day Test?
Who can replace Shami?
It could well be Ravindra Jadeja, the left arm roulette wheel. The field in Melbourne is not going to be fast; It won’t be slow either, but the lack of pace could make India consider going with two spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja. It’s the old cricket logic of playing with your best bowlers and in the absence of Shami, in a field like MCG, he might as well come to India trying to Indianize his composition and play Jadeja.
There is also Chinese bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who incidentally made his Test debut in 2017 under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane, who will again replace Kohli for the remainder of the series. However, over the past 18 months, Yadav’s shares have fallen. The concern was that he was too slow, and he was first put on an exercise regimen and efforts were made to make the ball bubble. Clearly, Yadav has not completed the makeover process as well as management would have liked, as seen in the few games he has played in recent times. The implosion of Adelaide’s batting also strengthens the case for Jadeja, whose batting has certainly increased recently.
Isn’t there a backup beat for Shami?
Yes, Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini are fit and available, and will be in dispute if management feels the field has any pacing or can offer any sewing movement. Saini started the tour with a torrid run in the first two ODIs, but bounced back with a three-course run in the day-night warm-up game in Sydney. Saini’s attributes are a fast pace and his ability to extract a prodigious rebound.
Siraj, on the other hand, is a skilled bowler who can move the red ball more than most in useful condition. If the team management decides to go with a pacemaker as a replacement, Siraj could get the go-ahead for MCG and Saini would be better suited for the more marked strip in Brisbane.
What are the changes to expect when hitting?
The problem starts at the top with the starters, and in particular Prithvi Shaw. His technical flaws meant he survived just eight deliveries in Adelaide and will be replaced by his U19 World Cup teammate Shubman Gill. The 21-year-old has yet to make his testing debut, but he has looked pretty confident during the limited overs leg of the tour and even in tour games.
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The other vital change in the batting order would be KL Rahul coming in for Kohli. Rahul hasn’t shone in tryouts in the recent past, but those failures were as a starter, where he was caught playing from the area against the new ball. India would hope to be able to replicate its limited overs form at MCG, the place where it made its Test debut six seasons ago.
Will Saha keep his place as goalkeeper?
It seems unlikely, given his twin failures, scores of 9 and 4, in Adelaide. Saha is the best goalkeeper in India, but his hitting at home and abroad has not been up to par. Just to put things in perspective, Saha has gone 13 unrecorded entries for half a century in Tests. His glove work might be more necessary under spin-friendly conditions at home and India is likely to increase his hitting with Rishabh Pant. The Delhi wicketkeeper has the experience of playing Tests in Australia, and the century of hits in the warm-up game in Sydney could take his case further. Also, considering Adelaide’s “lack of intention” (to use Kohli’s words) in the second inning, Pant’s aggression could be what this team needs going forward.
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