India vs West Indies 2013: 5 things under focus in the 1st Test at Kolkata

2. The no. 6 position for India

Will Rohit Sharma make his debut, or Ajinkya Rahane retain his place?

Since Sourav Ganguly left in 2008, nobody has been able to make this slot his own. Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina juggled a lot, and just when it looked like Ravindra Jadeja would slam shut the door, the all-rounder’s shoulder injury has left Dhoni with more questions.

If India persist with Ajinkya Rahane, they’d be going in with 4 specialist bowlers. However, with Dhoni’s penchant for part-timers well-known, Rohit Sharma’s Test debut may well turn out to be driven by the need to have a bit-part bowler. Dhoni also has the option of Amit Mishra, but he would be wary of going in with only 5 specialist batsmen.

If Dhoni has enough faith in his two main spinners, Ashwin and Ojha, Ajinkya Rahane coming at No. 6 seems the likeliest possibility on Wednesday morning, though the Indian skipper would have to resist the temptation of - in the words of the opposition captain Darren Sammy – a “fourth day track”.