Raina deserves to be in the playing XI

Cricketing careers often hang on slender threads. Success can be a mirage and failure can lurk around every corner. Dreams collide with reality and the protagonists bring with them different tales of fortune swings.

 

Much like The Razor's Edge, Somerset Maugham's classic on life's vicissitudes, cricketers do walk the tightrope. A fall might only be a step away.

There were seven Indian cricketers on view during a day of optional practice for the side at the quaint IIT-Chemplast ground, here, on Wednesday. What does the World Cup hold for them?

Here, let's take a closer look at Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, R. Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Munaf Patel and Piyush Chawla.

Yuvraj Singh: Fitter and hungrier, Yuvraj, the impact player, has made a stirring comeback. The left-hander with a truckload of natural ability has applied himself, responded to situations. Yuvraj has so far made 171 runs in five matches at 85.50 (strike rate 82.60) with three successive half centuries. A match-winner, the in-form Yuvraj should be batting higher up the order; at the No. 4 slot. His left-arm spin has evolved too. Watch out for this explosive cricketer in the knockout phase.

Suresh Raina: He deserves to be in the eleven. Raina is a dangerous adversary in sub-continental conditions and has this precious ability to rewrite scripts. The left-hander — yet to make the eleven in the ongoing World Cup — has 881 runs from 38 ODIs in India at 38.30 (strike rate 90.08). He can orchestrate turnarounds and add weight to the lower middle-order, particularly during batting Power Play. A handy off-spinner, he will also lift the levels of fielding.

Virat Kohli: A lively, committed cricketer, he appears to have gone off the boil after a stroke-filled unbeaten 100 versus Bangladesh in the opener. Kohli is swift on the field, but his batting slot has come under scrutiny. Yuvraj appears better suited to hold the No. 4 slot. And if Kohli surfaces in the later stages, his value to the side is limited.

R. Ashwin: The Indian attack might wear a different look if this lanky off-spinner makes the cut. Ashwin possesses the control and variety to bowl with the new ball or in the Power Play overs.

Stand-in captain Gautam Gambhir called him the ‘find of the series' when Ashwin scalped 11 in the five-match ODI home series against the Kiwis earlier in the season at 21.90 (economy rate 5.12). He has the equanimity to bowl at the death. Ashwin and spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh could form a potent partnership.

Piyush Chawla: The leg-spinner is an attacking option and needs the backing of the captain. Skipper Dhoni was right in giving Chawla a fair run, however, there comes a point when the performance of a bowler needs to be assessed. With four wickets in three matches at 43.50 (economy rate 6.21) Chawla has disappointed; he has struggled to get his leg-spinner going and has been unable to make the switch in line capably. However, Chawla remains an aggressive choice if India is willing to play five bowlers. The host needs to cover its flanks, in case the leg-spinner has an off-day.

Yusuf Pathan: The wild card in the pack, this big-hitter is a gamble. But then, his selection is a risk worth taking. His weighty hits can change the course of a match in a hurry. The value of somebody such as Yusuf cannot be measured in runs alone and he did blitz a match-winning innings against Ireland in Bangalore when the game seemed to be in the balance. Teams might be wary of him in the knockout phase. Yusuf is best suited for the No. 6 or 7 slots and promoting him is not a wise ploy.

Munaf Patel: He has bowled with discipline and control at the start and in the middle overs. Munaf is a fine seamer but employing him at the death has largely back-fired. Dhoni should finish Munaf's quota before the 40th over.