7 Indians for whom the New Zealand series is crucial to find a place in the World Cup squad

#2 Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu - A make or break tour

Ambati Rayudu, like Jadeja, was almost assured of a place in the squad for the World Cup before the Australia series. His failure in the first two ODIs against Australia and the suggestion from vice-captain Rohit Sharma that MS Dhoni would be a better option at No 4, has turned Rayudu’s world upside down.

To make matters worse, Rayudu has been reported for suspect bowling action in the two overs that he bowled in the first ODI at Sydney. That makes Rayudu a one-dimensional player who can not perform the role of a sixth bowler.

MS Dhoni’s success at No 4 in Melbourne would entice the team management to continue with that choice while batting first or chasing a reasonably small total. That would make Ambati Rayudu redundant in the present batting line up as he will not be best suited to bat down the order below No 4. In such a scenario, a finisher like a Kedar Jadhav or a Dinesh Karthik would be a better option than Rayudu.

However, in one of the recent interactions, captain Kohli has suggested that MS Dhoni’s batting position may vary between 4 or 5 depending upon the match situation which throws another lifeline for Rayudu.

If Rayudu gets to bat at No 4 on batting-friendly conditions in New Zealand, the onus will be on him to remind the team management of his significance in the present Indian batting line up. The tour of New Zealand will make or break Rayudu.