CricDigs Blogs

It is not just the bowling part but the batting too that needs to have a flexible rotation policy when it comes to India conserving its cricketing resources. The next challenge for Dhoni’s men has received a sort of a setback with Ishant Sharma pulling out with an injury — according to some resources. Whereas, I feel it is a blessing in disguise. Just a few months back, Ishant faced a similar predicament. He had bowled his heart out in the test matches against the Lankans in Sri Lanka but was rested for the one-day series. This small break came in very handy for the Indian team and not just Ishant. When it came to bowling against the Aussies on the most driest and humble of pitches, it was a well-rested and relaxed Ishant who made all the difference.

In fact, he went on to pick up the man-of-the-series award for his outstanding performance. I believe it was not just his talent but the fact that he had the time before the all-important series began to rest and strengthen his aching muscles and had the chance to bowl with a relaxed mind in a few domestic matches. So, Ishant’s absence from a few one-dayers or even for the whole series against England shouldn’t be turned into a huge issue. India has more than one fast bowler raring to go. The likes of RP Singh and Munaf Patel could be given another chance. This way all the bowling resources would be kept in the mix and it would make sure that the workload is share among them and the key bowlers are kept fresh for the most engaging duels.

This form of slightly chopping and changing the squad could be used in the batting department too. India has plentiful of young batsmen trying to make a mark in the international arena. The likes of Raina, Rohit Sharma, Badrinath and M. Vijay shouldn’t be guaranteed season of selection straightaway. Just keep them switching each other a bit, from series-to-series, to make sure that they are at their sharpest, most dedicated and fittest best, whenever called upon to do national duties. This way the players don’t take their places in the team for granted and the chances of the burn-out syndrome is severely restricted. Tendulkar has already been rested and it isn’t a bad example to follow when it comes to organised shuffling of the rest of the team.