Hobart exploits leave selectors in a tricky situation

Zeenews Sports Bureau

Mumbai: Indian team’s redemption at Hobart against Sri Lanka on Tuesday may have come as a respite for its under fire cricketers but it has left the selectors in a dilemma. When selectors meet to choose the squad for Asia Cup on Wednesday beginning from March 12 in Bangladesh, the foremost thing in their mind would be to decide whether or not to tinker with the winning combination. The top order that boasts of names like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag has failed to give a substantial start in the current tri-series barring Tuesday’s clash against Lanka. MS Dhoni who has continued playing non-stop cricket since India’sWorld Cup triumph last year, might also be rested for the four-nation continental championships to be held in Dhaka. India are the defending champions and five-time winners of the trophy and a huge alteration in the composition of the squad is unlikely. But there are going to be changes after the consecutive flop show in England and Australia by the World Cup-winning team. There are some injury worries too, notably to R Vinay Kumar and Irfan Pathan. Kumar sat out the team`s penultimate league game against Australia and also missed the last game against Srilanka at Hobart, while Pathan, who collided on the field with Suresh Raina at Sydney, was not fit enough to take the field in their final round-robin match against the Lankans. The selectors might also take into note the domestic performances when they put on their thinking hats. Irfan`s brother Yusuf, who has started playing after getting injured in the earlier part of the season, has shown how much of a game-changer he could be when conditions suit his style of batting in the sub-continent by blasting his way to a century against Saurashtra two days ago with the help of 10 sixes and six fours. With Jadeja being out of sorts and Test specialist Pragyan Ojha also not among the thick of wickets in the one-day domestic event, Yusuf is very likely to be recalled to the squad for his all round abilities as a powerful hitter lower down the order and an economical off-break bowler. Also in the selectors` radar could be Robin Uthappa, another big-hitting batsman, who is third in the top scorers` list in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with 292 runs, including a belligerent century. The selectors will certainly have to take tough decisions dropping underperforming players and giving a chance to youngsters while also resting overworked skipper Dhoni. With PTI inputs