5 reasons why India should continue to experiment in the ODI series against Australia

With India having whitewashed Sri Lanka 9-0 across all the three formats, our attention will now turn to the all-important ODI series at home against Australia. Though India are a powerful team at home, this series is expected to be much more keenly contested.

One question that is being raised is whether the culture of experimentation that was taken up for the Lankan tour should be continued or if it should be scrapped against the Aussies as they are a mightier opposition.

Here are 5 reasons why we think that India should continue to experiment in the ODI series against Australia.

---

#1 Middle order problems persist

Though there’s no doubting India’s top 3 batsmen, it’s from number 4 that the problems start as of now. India’s middle order is largely unstable and despite the 9-0 whitewashing of Sri Lanka, the vulnerabilities of the middle order were exposed time and again.

Many times during the ODI series, the Indian middle order suffered dramatic collapses when put under pressure. So India at the moment face many questions going forward.

Is KL Rahul good enough to be in the future plans as far as ODIs are concerned? Does Kedar Jadhav need to be more consistent? Or is it time to give Ajinkya Rahane more chances or bring back Yuvraj Singh or Suresh Raina?

Only experimentation which involves trying out all possible combinations will help settle these doubts.

#2 Trying out all possible combinations

Raina and Yuvraj are waiting on the wings

India, as of now, have a very good bench strength which includes the likes of Ajinkya Rahane who was the highest scorer on the West Indies tour. Apart from that, the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina are also waiting for more opportunities.

Among the likes of Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav and KL Rahul, only two can make it to the final team which necessitates giving everyone more opportunities to decide who makes the final cut. India’s three young spinners have done well on the Lankan tour but the veterans Ashwin and Jadeja will be back now.

Therefore, everyone should be given equal opportunities and new combinations must be tried out to see what is best for the team. KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane should be given opportunities as openers as well as in the middle order. Dhawan and Rohit Sharma can be rested on a rotational basis.

In the bowling department, either one of Ashwin or Jadeja should be made to partner the younger spinners on a rotational basis. It is these experiments which will help India to arrive at the best final combination.

#3 Squad rotation will allow resting players

Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan could be rested much more

Experimentation will obviously involve squad rotation and trying out the bench strength to ascertain the best possible permutations and combinations. This will also involve resting players on a rotational basis every match to give opportunities to others.

This will have an added advantage as it will give all the players some much deserved rest and help them stay fresh. India have a core unit comprising the likes of Kohli and Dhawan who play across all three formats now.

With the amount of cricket being played now, rotation and resting will be vital to keep all the important players fresh. With the tour to South Africa coming up, a long-term injury to an important player is what the team can ill-afford at the moment.

#4 Hardik Pandya’s form is cause for concern

Pandya's form has been erratic

Hardik Pandya has made his progress by leaps and bounds in the last year and a half. From being a limited overs specialist to making a successful Test debut, his transition is now complete.

But the problem of late has been his indifferent form with the bat and the ball. A fast bowling all-rounder like Pandya can be a trump card for Kohli. But if he is not performing and has to be dropped, that will necessitate changing the team combination.

Without Pandya, India has to make the choice between playing an extra bowler or an extra batsman depending on the condition. Since the World Cup 2019 will be in England, it might mean going in with a third seamer. India will then have to think if they have enough batting depth if they play five specialist bowlers.

Thus, Pandya must be given more opportunities to be more consistent. But India should also experiment to have a back-up plan in place if they have to go in without him.

#5 Competition for places enhances individual performance

Even Jadeja had to face the sack

If there is any message that the Indian selectors sent out in their squad selection for the Sri Lankan tour, it was a clear message of perform or perish. Experienced players such as Yuvraj, Ashwin and Jadeja were not included solely on the basis of their poor performance in ODIs.

The team continued that philosophy during the series by giving all the squad members a fair chance. Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya were dropped when they did not perform well for a few games.

Thus, the culture of experimentation will keep everyone on their toes as it sends out the message that no matter how important a player is, he will be dropped if he doesn’t perform. Every place is up for grabs in this team. This competition is goading players to perform better and there’s no reason why it should be stopped.