After the England debacle, the return of Sehwag and Gambhir was important. It seems like Dhoni did not use Yuvraj as a bowler and hence cannot continue on as a pure batsmen for the team.
The major contenders for this position are based on FC averages of middle order Test or FC cricket. The order is important since Kohli is not at the top of the pecking order as a Test middle order. Names like Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwari and Pujara are likely candidates since they have done better in the longer format.
Let us look at the FC averages and not the List-A averages which is more suitable for 1-dayers.
Rohit Sharma: 65 innings at 62.87 Manoj Tiwari: 73 innings at 56.76 C Pujara : 89 innings at 55.81
The presence of Kohli, Yuvraj and Raina and Badrinath at this spot was not appropriate.
Hopefully, Rohit is brought in with an average of 62.87 just like Rahane's 69.11.
One should not read too much into this win over a vastly inferior side (at least on paper). This West Indian side can not be compared with the side that had Sobers, Kanhai, Weekes, Walcott and Hall or the one that had Lloyd, Greenidge, Richards, Roberts and Holding. It is fit only to compete against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. The fact remains that even so the Indian team was made to struggle for the first three days. The fact remains that in their last seven test matches (since the start of the West Indian tour earlier this year)the much famed Indian batting has not got past 400 even once. THe batsmen have clicked just enough to hold their places in the side, but have not gone on to make big scores with any regularity (with the honourable exception of Rahul Dravid, who is after all, all said and done an honourable man).
One should not read too much into this win over a vastly inferior side (at least on paper). This West Indian side can not be compared with the side that had Sobers, Kanhai, Weekes, Walcott and Hall or the one that had Lloyd, Greenidge, Richards, Roberts and Holding. It is fit only to compete against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. The fact remains that even so the Indian team was made to struggle for the first three days. The fact remains that in their last seven test matches (since the start of the West Indian tour earlier this year)the much famed Indian batting has not got past 400 even once. THe batsmen have clicked just enough to hold their places in the side, but have not gone on to make big scores with any regularity (with the honourable exception of Rahul Dravid, who is after all, all said and done an honourable man).
One should not read too much into this win over a vastly inferior side (at least on paper). This West Indian side can not be compared with the side that had Sobers, Kanhai, Weekes, Walcott and Hall or the one that had Lloyd, Greenidge, Richards, Roberts and Holding. It is fit only to compete against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. The fact remains that even so the Indian team was made to struggle for the first three days. The fact remains that in their last seven test matches (since the start of the West Indian tour earlier this year)the much famed Indian batting has not got past 400 even once. THe batsmen have clicked just enough to hold their places in the side, but have not gone on to make big scores with any regularity (with the honourable exception of Rahul Dravid, who is after all, all said and done an honourable man).
