Selection conundrums

I wonder at the logic behind the BCCI selection panel sometimes - selecting players who are never even the first-choice back-ups for existing specialists, be it batsmen/bowlers/wicket-keepers.

The logic astounded me even more, because Wriddhiman Saha was given an opportunity ahead of Dinesh Karthik in the squad for the 1st Test Match against South Africa. Not to take anything away from Saha who has been pretty consistent throughout this first-class season, but Karthik has been even more consistent, and figures do not lie - what with his twin 150+ scores in the Duleep Trophy final which concluded today.

Given the fact that Karthik had just one test to show his mettle against Bangladesh, it doesn't mean that you go ahead and dump him for the series against South Africa - where are you achieving consistency and maintaining the bench strength?

And yes, Murphy struck on the 1st Test Match's warm-up session. Rohit Sharma, who all along, hasn't done enough to merit his place and play consistently in the Ranji Trophy, (barring an unbeaten 309 against Gujarat, which made his average look god-like), when people like Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey, Cheteshwar Pujara have been scoring runs for fun, eventually got injured during the warm-up session.

So who replaces him? Wriddhiman Saha. A bloke who's primarily known for his keeping and lower-order batting, becomes Laxman's replacement, who's a thoroughbred, out and out batsman.

Even if one took Dinesh Karthik into consideration just for his batting, one could always argue that Karthik was more meritorious of selection.

Here's where the short sight of the selectors is seen glaringly.

Either way, India have to live with all the facts of this test match:

1) No Dravid, no Laxman or even an equivalent replacement.

2) A wicketkeeper batting at #6.

3) 2 spinners, one who doesn't have the patience to utilize a pitch which is tailor-made for him, and the other who's learning his trade, but doesn't seem to be gifted enough to trouble batsmen at the highest level, and lacks consistency.

4) 1 fast bowler who's in a rich vein of form, another, who thought he rediscovered his form, only to get back to his old ways.

5) 2 South African batsmen scoring big unbeaten centuries, ending the first day at 291/2, after being 6/2.

6) Another day to try and bowl South Africa under 400.

None of these signs are encouraging. I don't see how India can save this test match, forget winning it, given these dearth of resources.

I predict South Africa to amass a score of 500+ and declare tomorrow evening, unless points 3 and 4 totally backfire against me, or the batsmen themselves gift their wickets away, something which is not likely to happen.

The key to the Indian batting will undoubtedly be the openers - Sehwag and Gambhir. Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar (Who's going to shepherd this batting line-up around, and I guess it's maybe the first time, in a long while, that he has had to play amidst people who are extremely raw to test cricket), Badrinath will have to shore up the batting, with atleast 2 of the 5 getting big hundreds and the rest chipping in with useful knocks and partnerships.

More to follow tomorrow.

Cheers,

V