Roseau (Dominica): Out of form young batsmen seem to be India’s only concern as they aim to sign off their Caribbean sojourn on a high by clinching the third and final cricket Test against the West Indies, starting here on Wednesday.
The Indians, leading the three-match series 1-0, may have to make some changes to their batting line-up on a Windsor Park track which is expected to offer pace and bounce. Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has ensured a continuation of his unbeaten record in a Test series but he would have to take a call if Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli are to get yet another chance after their disastrous outings so far in the Caribbean.
The two already have the writing on the wall as they haven’t been picked for the series against England, starting in mid-July.
India needs their replacement as the West Indies’ new ball bowlers have had the complete measure of these two young batsmen.
Thus Parthiv Patel and Subramaniam Badrinath can fancy their chances in the final Test if Dhoni prefers to reshuffle his cards.
Both Patel and Badrinath have had little batting since the one-day series ended, more so with the Chennai batsman who wasn’t picked for the last ODI in Jamaica and has been out of action for three weeks.
If Dhoni persists with Vijay and Kohli, with the realisation that they are better bets for future than either Patel or Badrinath, he would have no such hesitation in replacing Abhimanyu Mithun with Munaf Patel who himself hasn’t played a Test for over two years, despite his limited overs heroics this year.
West Indies, if anything, are in a bigger batting mess than India.
While India has turned to experienced Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman to bail them out in the two Tests, West Indies haven’t had such luck with Ramnaresh Sarwan who has been left out in favour of Kieron Powell.
So West Indies must have a batting replacement of Sarwan (29 runs at 7.25 avg), if not of opener Lendl Simmons who too has been all at sea against Indian pacers, having made 46 at 11.50. His performance is completely at odds to what he did in the preceding one-day series (177 runs at 35.40 avg).
Kirk Edwards and Kieran Powell are two youngsters waiting in the wings. The former has the reputation to bat for long hours and the latter an attacking young colt — qualities which are presently sorely missing in the present West Indian batting line-up.
India are hoping that two of its key members hit their strides in this Test.
Dhoni, despite two wrong decisions awarded against him, has only 23 runs at 5.75 average from the series, and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is still two short of his 400-wicket haul, having claimed five wickets at 35.60 average from the two Tests. (PTI)