3 Indians who need to be picked for the West Indies series

The Indian cricket team returns home after their triumphant escapade in the Middle East, to face the West Indians across all formats. While the ODI series would allow another opportunity to fine-tune the side before the World Cup, the Test series represents the start of India’s journey to restore lost pride.

Virat Kohli is expected to lead the team after being given a rest during the Asia Cup. The only injury doubts are Ishant Sharma and R Ashwin, who injured themselves on their adventures on English shores.

On their tour of England, the Indians performed better than the abject displays of 2011 and 2014, yet found themselves on the wrong side of a 4-1 scoreline. Apart from Virat Kohli, the much-vaunted Indian batting was found wanting.

Though Rahul and Pant redeemed themselves in the last innings, the failure to produce when the situation demanded, raised a lot of eyebrows. The Tests in England also shed light on the apparent weaknesses of several batsmen and with a series Down Under looming, India should try to offload the dead weight and bring on board some exciting talent.

Through this article, we would look at the players who need to be rewarded for their domestic performances and should find a place in the team.

Moving forward, the Indian think-tank needs to keep an eye on the future as well while focussing on the present. Here is a look at the players who deserve their time in the sun:

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#3 Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep should be given a chance to showcase his ODI form in the Test format

The left arm chinaman from Uttar Pradesh has only played a handful of Tests in his career. Having made a significant impact in his debut game against Australia, he was a peripheral figure in England, on a wicket conducive to seam bowling.

However, with India planning for the series in Australia, Kuldeep is an option they shouldn’t ignore. Traditionally, wrist spinners have extracted more out of the hard Australian wickets than finger spinners.

The likes of Warne and MacGill became household names by consistently bamboozling the batsmen Down Under. Additionally, Kuldeep displayed good temperament after getting dropped as he performed admirably in the India A games.

The Australians aren’t the most adept at playing wrist spin. Thus, the Indian team needs to have Kuldeep firing on all cylinders when the series Down Under gets underway.

With the Test series against West Indies the last ‘red ball’ assignment before Australia, the time is right to bring Kuldeep back into the fold.

On India’s previous overseas tours, they have gone in with finger spinners and they haven’t produced the desired results. Hence, a shift from finger spinners to wrist spinners is essential and there is no man better than Kuldeep to spearhead that change.

The selection of Kuldeep against West Indies would certainly be a step in the right direction.

#2 Prithvi Shaw

Shaw looks ready for his bow in international cricket

The next name on the list is the young and dazzling Prithvi Shaw. Shaw was included for the final two Tests in England and should be given a go again in the series against the West Indies.

The series in England threw light on Dhawan’s deficiencies as an overseas Test opener. After another failure in England, one can expect Dhawan to not be at the forefront of the Test touring party to Australia.

Though he is a cracking white ball batsman, his poor technique has flared up on numerous occasions, thus putting the team under pressure.

As for Shaw, his hunger for runs hasn’t stopped after his maiden call-up. He has been spearheading Mumbai’s charge in the Vijay Hazare trophy. Apart from the runs he has scored, Shaw has displayed authority in his batting, an authority that begs of the Indian think-tank to try him out on the big stage.

It would be highly unfair on Shaw to drop him without donning the national colours. He is still very young and if provided with the right opportunities, could blossom into a long-term opening solution (both home and overseas).

Thus, the perfect way to ease him into international cricket would be to play him against the West Indies at home. The selectors would be making a brave call by including the teenager but it surely wouldn’t be a call that hasn’t been warranted.

#1 Mayank Agarwal

Mayank deserves his time in the sun

Mayank Agarwal has been unfortunate to miss out on the national team over the past year. In the 2017-18 season, he ended up with the highest ever domestic tally for runs yet couldn’t warrant a place in any format.

However, with the Indian openers again failing abroad, the door is slightly ajar for Mayank to walk into. The Karnataka born batsman is an attacking player who likes to control the tempo of the game from the outset.

However, over the past couple of years, he has mixed caution with aggression and has found the perfect recipe for success. The newfound success recipe has translated to superlative performances on the field.

Though Mayank’s talent was never in doubt, his ability to score consistently was. However, the last couple of seasons have shown that he has developed the attribute of scoring on a more regular basis. With all the shots in the book, he represents an exciting option at the top of the order.

More than anything else, Mayank would bring an air of positivity with him. He could be the breath of fresh air the stale Indian top-order has been crying out for. The only thing the Indian selectors need to do is to give the young lad from Karnataka his due and let him make the opening slot his own.

The re-inclusion of Vijay or Dhawan would be a short-term option at best. Thus, at the cost of being brave, a chance should be afforded to Mayank.

As for now, the best we can do is hope that the selectors give him the green light for the series against West Indies.