5 Indian players who could benefit from a stint in county cricket

There was a time when playing overseas meant a quiet stint in one of England’s various leagues, where you were left with only the game and your thoughts. It was akin to a pilgrimage, in the sense that you sought remedies and re-energized your spirit; you weren’t too far from the mecca of cricket, either. As a package, county cricket was the ultimate growth strategy – tests of both technique and maturity – and regarded as the final hurdle between a player hanging around at Test level and belonging to it.Of course, the quiet life and Test cricket have both lost the spotlight these days to the various T20 leagues around the world. This isn’t to say that they’re distractions; it’s a feature of the modern game and vital to the development of the modern player. However, the value of a domestic season in England hasn’t diminished.Certainly, Cheteshwar Pujara thinks so, having featured twice for Yorkshire this season already in a bid to overturn his poor Test form abroad. If India’s history with county cricket is anything to go by, Pujara will score runs by the hundreds when the Tests come along. India will welcome the runs, but if he kindles a trend to play domestic cricket in England, the benefits will be manifold. Some players, in particular, could benefit from it. Let’s take a look:

#1 Suresh Raina

It’s been 10 years since Suresh Raina made his international debut, but you wouldn’t be able to tell. He’s enjoyed a good amount of success in limited-overs cricket, and had an especially great run when he batted at No.3 in ODIs a few years ago. Since then, his role has turned into a finishing one and he’s only ever in the spotlight when he turns up for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.

This lack of spotlight could be put down to his personality; but it might have a bit to do with the fact that since his century on Test debut in 2010, Raina has only an average of 26.48 to show. Raina is a senior in Indian cricket by age, but in 10 years, he’s never been identified as a stalwart or a reliable middle-order player.

He has age on his side, however, and at 30 years of age, probably one last shot at a Test career if he chooses to pull out of an IPL season to pursue county cricket. It’s fair to say that he was touted to be the batsman to fill Sourav Ganguly’s role in the Test line-up, but like many, he hasn’t done himself justice.

#2 Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami has been one of the better signs of a consistently struggling bowling department for India in the last two years. In a young Test career, Shami has already showed signs that he is a quick learner. He started off with a stock in-swinger but now swings it both ways at decent pace.

Perhaps his only shortfall in recent times has been his ability to construct a spell. Although that could be said of India’s entire line-up in general, there was a lack of tact in Shami’s strategy with the ball. He was reminiscent of a younger Zaheer Khan, who had all tools barring discipline.He has managed to do well even on the drab pitches at home, an ability that will take him a long way in his career.

#3 KL Rahul

There have been youngsters in the past who’ve scored a Test century early in their careers and then fallen out of favour soon after. The manner of KL Rahul’s century in Sydney, however, was enough to make a call that he is definitely going to feature in India’s plans for a long time. However, the manner of his dismissals throughout the series also begged the question of whether his old-school technique is just a disguise for a player who wants to blast his way to runs. It’s also visible in the way he goes about his innings for the Sunrisers in 2015, which are characterised by near-hits and misses. He changed his fortunes when he walked out for the RCB team this year, and has become an integral part of the limited-overs team ever since.

There’s evidence that Rahul is a gifted player but one who may not, at this stage, make for a good limited-overs player. Hence, like Pujara, Rahul would do his future – and India’s - great service if he battled his way through an entire season in county cricket at a young age. After all, how many young players have come through recently who could be called specialist Test batsmen?

#4 Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma has come some way since his debut and is now India’s most experienced fast bowler. And in that statement, many people can sum up India’s horrid time as a bowling unit recently. Because, in all fairness, there’s little to be said of Ishant’s career after 61 Tests.

In 2014, he had a decent tour of England and a distinctly average one of Australia. On both tours, Ishant went with the tag of spearhead but rarely looked like it. Similar things can be said of Shami and Ishant in terms of constructing spells and setting batsmen up, but when one of them has more than 60 Tests and 8 years under his belt, you know the learning hasn’t been prolific.

And so, it’s time that Ishant hones his responsibility. On the skill front too, he has a fair way to go. Injuries and illnesses have been keeping him away from the playing XI for some time now. A decent run in county cricket can surely serve to be a nice boost. But it’s about time Ishant made the team on ability and not on experience.

#5 Rohit Sharma

Indian fans will scream in unison at this suggestion.

Rohit Sharma specializes in duality – petrified opener OR legendary destroyer; oodles of runs OR none at all; the next big thing OR barely any bother.

The captaincy of Mumbai Indians has helped Rohit gain some maturity in the last 18 months, but he always gives the impression of under-delivering. He is already one of the best one-day players in the world and will, no doubt, finish as one of the game’s best. What’s disappointing is that for a player who averages 57 in first-class cricket to go with that ODI reputation, Rohit only has 21 Test caps, for which he can’t blame anyone but himself. He has blown hot and cold in the longest format, but clearly has the backing of Virat Kohli, the Test captain.

His game lacks as much regulation as it boasts dynamism and really, nothing else stands in his way. One can’t help but agree that a season, even two, in England can give the world a Rohit Sharma whose game is characterized not by duality, but a strong identity.